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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: stick · rash · present · mug · lean · rock · rest · capital

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. mug — to rob
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rock — music
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. mug — a cup
  10. present — the time now
  11. lean — thin
  12. rash — a series
  13. mug — a face
  14. present — a gift
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. present — there
  17. rest — a break
  18. rash — hasty
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. capital — money
  22. rock — a stone
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. rest — what's left

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