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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: spring · bank · can · cue · saw · lean · capital · pound

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. bank — for money
  3. spring — the season
  4. pound — a weight
  5. bank — for money
  6. spring — of water
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bank — of a river
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. saw — the tool
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — a tin
  17. capital — a city
  18. capital — money
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — for pool
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. saw — the tool
  23. spring — a coil
  24. lean — thin

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