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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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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: row · rest · lean · kid · fall · saw · safe · capital

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was 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. lean — to rest against
  2. saw — the tool
  3. fall — to drop
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. lean — thin
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. row — to paddle
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. kid — to tease
  10. fall — to drop
  11. rest — a break
  12. capital — a city
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. fall — the season
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. saw — the tool
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — what's left
  21. capital — money
  22. row — a line
  23. kid — child
  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