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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: hide · racket · capital · kick · lie · lean · fork · squash

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lie — to recline
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. capital — money
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. squash — to crush
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — thin
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. squash — the sport
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. capital — a city
  20. fork — in a road
  21. kick — in football
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. racket — for tennis

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