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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 120 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
468
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 · face · tube · capital · mine · lash · row · perch

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. face — to point toward
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. face — part of the head
  8. perch — the fish
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. row — a line
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. mine — for digging
  13. face — to confront
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. tube — the underground
  17. capital — money
  18. capital — a city
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. tube — a container
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to rest against

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