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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. row — to paddle
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. capital — a city
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. saw — the tool
  7. firm — steady
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. row — a line
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. snap — to click
  14. firm — decided
  15. lie — to recline
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lean — thin
  19. firm — a company
  20. capital — money
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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