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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: saw · capital · suit · staff · object · face · present · lean

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. lean — thin
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. lean — to bend
  5. object — a thing
  6. face — part of the head
  7. staff — a stick
  8. suit — clothes
  9. suit — to fit
  10. present — a gift
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. capital — a city
  13. staff — employees
  14. suit — in cards
  15. staff — employees
  16. present — the time now
  17. saw — the tool
  18. present — there
  19. face — to confront
  20. face — to point toward
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. object — to protest
  23. capital — money
  24. object — an aim

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