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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.

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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: foot · mark · cue · stand · lean · capital · lash · cell

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a grade
  9. stand — to bear
  10. cue — for pool
  11. capital — a city
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cell — a phone
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. mark — a trace
  17. capital — money
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. lean — to bend
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. lean — thin
  23. cell — in biology
  24. foot — part of the body

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