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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. capital — money
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. roll — a cake
  5. capital — a city
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. roll — a list
  11. lie — to recline
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. stand — to bear
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. foot — a measure
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. lean — thin
  20. plane — a tool
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. lean — to bend
  24. plane — in geometry

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