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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: bulb · chest · mouse · racket · fall · lash · lean · capital

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. capital — money
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. chest — of your body
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. capital — a city
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. fall — to drop
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bulb — for light
  18. fall — to drop
  19. lean — thin
  20. fall — the season
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. chest — of your body
  24. lean — to bend

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