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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
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: object · suit · lean · wake · capital · march · arm · wound

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wound — an injury
  4. object — to protest
  5. object — a thing
  6. object — an aim
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. march — the month
  9. wound — an injury
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. suit — to fit
  12. suit — in cards
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. march — the month
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. capital — a city
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. suit — clothes
  20. lean — to bend
  21. march — music
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. capital — money
  24. lean — thin

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