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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: can · rock · land · cap · cold · arm · lean · leaves

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. cold — not warm
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. can — a tin
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. land — a country
  11. cold — an illness
  12. land — to come down
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. can — to be able to
  15. cap — a lid
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. cap — a hat
  18. rock — music
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. cap — of ice
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. land — ground
  24. can — a tin

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