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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — thin
  4. present — the time now
  5. season — of the year
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. wound — an injury
  11. present — there
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. capital — a city
  15. season — in sport
  16. lean — to bend
  17. can — a tin
  18. last — finally
  19. present — a gift
  20. can — a tin
  21. last — to go on
  22. last — final
  23. capital — money
  24. wake — a trail

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