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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 116 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. lean — to bend
  3. plane — a tool
  4. suit — clothes
  5. spring — of water
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. wake — a trail
  8. kick — in football
  9. suit — to fit
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. suit — in cards
  12. lean — thin
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. spring — the season
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. spring — a coil
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. capital — a city
  24. capital — money

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