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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.

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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: hide · lean · stand · foot · pop · fan · fine · capital

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. fine — high quality
  5. pop — music
  6. lean — to bend
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pop — soda
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. stand — to bear
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. lean — thin
  14. pop — to visit
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. foot — a measure
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. capital — a city
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. fine — all right
  24. stand — on your feet

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