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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lean — thin
  4. dip — to sink
  5. capital — money
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. prune — to trim
  8. pit — a hole
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bank — for money
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. ball — a dance
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bank — for money
  16. pit — in a race
  17. prune — to trim
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. ball — a great time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com