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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: field · lean · lash · stick · net · sharp · object · capital

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. net — after costs
  3. field — for sport
  4. net — in sport
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. field — a subject
  9. sharp — clever
  10. object — a thing
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. net — for catching
  13. object — an aim
  14. capital — a city
  15. lean — to bend
  16. object — to protest
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. field — farmland
  21. capital — money
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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