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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. can — to be able to
  4. cue — a hint
  5. suit — clothes
  6. clip — for paper
  7. can — a tin
  8. cue — for pool
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. mark — a grade
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — thin
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. clip — to cut
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. capital — money
  18. mark — a trace
  19. suit — to fit
  20. clip — a video
  21. cue — a signal
  22. suit — in cards
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. can — a tin

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