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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: sharp · tube · swing · lean · suit · bore · capital · rush

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. rush — hurry
  3. suit — to fit
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — to drill
  7. lean — thin
  8. tube — a container
  9. capital — a city
  10. lean — to bend
  11. swing — music
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. suit — clothes
  15. suit — in cards
  16. swing — in golf
  17. capital — money
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. tube — the underground
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. swing — to play on
  24. rush — a thrill

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