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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 · firm · lean · staff · mark · bulb · bore · pass

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — a stick
  5. firm — steady
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. lean — thin
  11. capital — a city
  12. bore — to drill
  13. staff — employees
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. firm — decided
  17. mark — a trace
  18. bore — to tire
  19. capital — money
  20. firm — a company
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. pass — a permit
  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