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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: present · key · hide · mark · capital · lean · band · kick

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. band — a ring
  3. key — the most important part
  4. mark — a trace
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. lean — thin
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. key — for a lock
  9. capital — a city
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. kick — in football
  13. present — there
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. band — a music group
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. present — the time now
  19. mark — a grade
  20. capital — money
  21. present — a gift
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. key — in music

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