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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 120 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
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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: field · mug · snap · lean · row · bay · hand · capital

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. field — for sport
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hand — help
  6. lean — to bend
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. mug — to rob
  10. capital — a city
  11. hand — in cards
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. mug — a cup
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. field — farmland
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. row — a line
  18. snap — to click
  19. capital — money
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. mug — a face
  23. lean — thin
  24. field — a subject

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