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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: lean · safe · capital · foot · lash · cold · plane · march

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. capital — a city
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. lean — to bend
  7. march — the month
  8. cold — not warm
  9. cold — an illness
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. lean — thin
  12. plane — a tool
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. march — music
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. march — the month
  21. capital — money
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lash — to lash out

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