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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. pass — a permit
  7. firm — decided
  8. land — a country
  9. capital — money
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. branch — a division
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. land — to come down
  15. capital — a city
  16. land — ground
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. firm — a company

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