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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. bank — for money
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rush — hurry
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bore — to drill
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rest — what's left
  10. saw — the tool
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. bank — of a river
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. stem — to come from
  18. capital — money
  19. lean — to bend
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rest — a break
  22. bank — for money
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. lean — thin

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