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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: wound · capital · pit · current · mark · lie · lean · pound

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. lean — thin
  3. current — of water
  4. wound — an injury
  5. current — happening now
  6. pit — in a race
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a grade
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. mark — a trace
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — to recline
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. pit — a hole
  18. wound — an injury
  19. capital — a city
  20. capital — money
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. current — electric

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