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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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. lean — thin
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. club — a group
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. band — a music group
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. chair — a leader
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. capital — money
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. club — for dancing
  20. club — for golf
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. band — a ring
  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