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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. capital — a city
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. cue — a signal
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. cue — for pool
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. cue — a hint
  14. capital — money
  15. foot — a measure
  16. lean — thin
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. mine — for digging
  19. can — a tin
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. face — part of the head
  23. face — to point toward
  24. face — to confront

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