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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 120 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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a skill
  4. cap — of ice
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. firm — steady
  7. cell — in biology
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. cap — a hat
  10. firm — a company
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. lean — to bend
  13. cell — a phone
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a trace
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cap — a lid
  19. firm — decided
  20. capital — money
  21. mark — a grade
  22. capital — a city
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lie — to recline

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