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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: foot · lean · drill · stem · suit · fork · capital · band

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. drill — a practice
  5. lean — thin
  6. suit — to fit
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stem — to come from
  11. suit — in cards
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. capital — money
  14. band — a music group
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. drill — the tool
  17. drill — army training
  18. fork — in a road
  19. capital — a city
  20. band — a ring
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. suit — clothes
  23. foot — a measure
  24. capital — a big letter

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