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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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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: mug · dip · lean · mate · row · mouse · capital · staff

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. mate — a partner
  3. staff — employees
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. mug — a face
  6. capital — money
  7. staff — employees
  8. row — a line
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. row — to paddle
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. capital — a city
  14. mate — to breed
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. dip — to sink
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mug — to rob
  20. staff — a stick
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. lean — to bend

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