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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bay · lean · capital · mark · fine · stem

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. mark — a grade
  3. capital — money
  4. capital — a city
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. lean — thin
  7. fine — high quality
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. stem — to come from
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. fine — all right
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. lean — to bend
  18. mark — a trace

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