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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 116 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: pop · leaves · capital · can · lean · kid · hide · tear

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. can — to be able to
  3. pop — music
  4. capital — money
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. pop — soda
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — from crying
  9. kid — child
  10. can — a tin
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. kid — to tease
  15. can — a tin
  16. tear — to rip
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. lean — to bend
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. capital — a city
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. lean — thin
  24. pop — to visit

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