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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: foot · lean · rash · lie · wake · capital · stem · squash

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. capital — a city
  3. lean — to bend
  4. wake — a trail
  5. lean — thin
  6. foot — a measure
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. stem — to come from
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. squash — the sport
  13. capital — money
  14. lie — to recline
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rash — a series
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. squash — to crush
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. rash — hasty
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. lie — an untruth

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