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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 · clip · dip · fine · rush · capital · fork · key

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. fork — in a road
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. clip — for paper
  8. key — in music
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. lean — thin
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. clip — to cut
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. key — the most important part
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. capital — a city
  18. clip — a video
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. fine — all right
  21. dip — to sink
  22. rush — hurry
  23. key — for a lock
  24. capital — money

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