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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 has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — to drop
  4. firm — a company
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. clip — for paper
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. clip — a video
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. fine — all right
  14. capital — money
  15. wake — a trail
  16. fine — high quality
  17. firm — decided
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. fall — the season
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. firm — steady
  23. clip — to cut
  24. capital — a city

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