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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. capital — money
  5. wake — a trail
  6. capital — a city
  7. lie — to recline
  8. club — a group
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. club — for dancing
  12. staff — employees
  13. lean — thin
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. object — an aim
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. object — a thing
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. club — for golf
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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