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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 124 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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. capital — money
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. mark — a trace
  5. tube — the underground
  6. race — a contest
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. lean — thin
  11. race — humankind
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. tube — a container
  15. capital — a city
  16. pass — a permit
  17. race — the arms race
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. mark — a grade
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. leaves — to go away

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