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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.

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: bay · spring · capital · track · leaves · bear · mark · lean

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. spring — of water
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. lean — thin
  7. spring — the season
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. track — to keep track
  10. lean — to bend
  11. bear — the animal
  12. track — a song
  13. mark — a grade
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. capital — a city
  16. track — a path
  17. bear — the animal
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mark — a trace
  21. spring — a coil
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bear — to put up with

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