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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: capital · bound · shower · lean · track · coach · suit · rest

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. shower — rain
  3. suit — in cards
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bound — certain
  6. rest — what's left
  7. suit — clothes
  8. capital — a city
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bound — obliged
  11. shower — to wash
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. track — a song
  14. lean — thin
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a path
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. rest — a break
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. suit — to fit
  24. capital — money

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