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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. suit — to fit
  3. degree — an amount
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. degree — from a university
  7. can — to be able to
  8. capital — a city
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. suit — clothes
  11. can — a tin
  12. degree — temperature
  13. saw — the tool
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. suit — in cards
  16. capital — money
  17. saw — the tool
  18. can — a tin

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