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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. lean — to bend
  3. club — for golf
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. suit — clothes
  7. rest — a break
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. club — for dancing
  10. club — a group
  11. rest — what's left
  12. suit — in cards
  13. tear — from crying
  14. rest — what's left
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. tear — to rip
  17. capital — money
  18. tear — from crying
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. capital — a city
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. suit — to fit
  24. lean — thin

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