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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: craft · capital · lean · spring · race · stand

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. spring — the season
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. race — the arms race
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. stand — to bear
  7. lean — thin
  8. craft — boats
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. spring — of water
  11. lean — to bend
  12. craft — a skill
  13. race — humankind
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. capital — money
  16. spring — a coil
  17. capital — a city
  18. race — a contest

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