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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. lean — thin
  3. chest — of your body
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. ground — the earth
  6. cue — for pool
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. chest — of your body
  9. capital — a city
  10. suit — clothes
  11. chest — a box
  12. ground — crushed
  13. cue — a hint
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. cue — a signal
  16. stem — to come from
  17. capital — money
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. ground — a position
  21. suit — to fit
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. suit — in cards
  24. lean — to bend

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