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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: stick · capital · lie · spell · vault · lean · face · cabinet

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. spell — a short time
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. capital — a city
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. lean — thin
  8. vault — a safe
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. face — to point toward
  14. spell — letters
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lie — to recline
  17. spell — magic
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. face — part of the head
  21. capital — money
  22. face — to confront
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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