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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: row · arm · pass · capital · bank · kid · cabinet · lean

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. kid — to tease
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. capital — a city
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. row — to paddle
  9. bank — for money
  10. kid — child
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. capital — money
  17. lean — thin
  18. bank — for money
  19. pass — a permit
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. bank — of a river
  22. row — a line
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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