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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: suit · capital · lean · wake · bulb · jam · fan · hand

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. hand — help
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bulb — for light
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. suit — clothes
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. hand — in cards
  13. wake — a trail
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. suit — to fit
  17. lean — thin
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. lean — to bend
  22. suit — in cards
  23. capital — money
  24. fan — a supporter

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