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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. snap — to click
  5. staff — employees
  6. kick — in football
  7. key — the most important part
  8. saw — the tool
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. lean — thin
  11. saw — the tool
  12. key — in music
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. ball — a great time
  15. lean — to bend
  16. key — for a lock
  17. staff — a stick
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. ball — a dance
  21. staff — employees
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. capital — money

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