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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  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. lean — to bend
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — thin
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. content — happy
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. saw — the tool
  16. ground — the earth
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. content — the amount
  20. ground — a position
  21. ground — crushed
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. capital — a city
  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