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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.

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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: lean · bore · mouse · toast · cell · board · capital · net

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — after costs
  4. net — for catching
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. toast — bread
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. capital — a city
  9. lean — thin
  10. bore — to tire
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. cell — a phone
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. bore — to drill
  16. capital — money
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. board — to get on
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. cell — in biology
  22. lean — to bend
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. board — a committee

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