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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: safe · stand · arm · saw · capital · rest · object · lean

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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. lean — to bend
  4. rest — a break
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. rest — what's left
  9. object — a thing
  10. rest — what's left
  11. lean — thin
  12. saw — the tool
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. object — to protest
  18. stand — to bear
  19. capital — a city
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. object — an aim
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. capital — money
  24. safe — out of danger

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