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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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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: tube · mark · lean · face · capital · mug · key · bulb

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. capital — money
  3. lean — thin
  4. mug — a face
  5. key — the most important part
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. key — for a lock
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. mug — a cup
  10. face — to confront
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mug — to rob
  14. capital — a city
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. face — to point toward
  19. tube — the underground
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bulb — for light
  22. tube — a container
  23. key — in music
  24. face — part of the head

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