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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: shower · lash · court · chair · board · mark · lean · capital

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. mark — a grade
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. capital — a city
  5. court — for sport
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. court — of law
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. court — of a king
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. shower — rain
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. mark — a trace
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. chair — a leader
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — to get on
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. capital — money
  23. shower — to wash
  24. lean — thin

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