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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: lean · bound · drill · snap · lie · capital · pitcher · wave

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  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. wave — with your hand
  2. lie — to recline
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. snap — to click
  5. lean — to bend
  6. bound — obliged
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. drill — army training
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. drill — a practice
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. capital — money
  13. capital — a city
  14. lean — thin
  15. drill — the tool
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. bound — certain
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bound — tied together
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  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