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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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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: lie · kid · fan · coach · wave · pit · capital · lean

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. lean — thin
  3. pit — a hole
  4. capital — money
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. pit — in a race
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. kid — to tease
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. kid — child
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. lie — to recline
  22. capital — a city
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. fan — to cool the air

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