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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. current — happening now
  5. current — of water
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. pit — in a race
  9. spring — the season
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pit — a hole
  12. spring — a coil
  13. current — electric
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spring — of water
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. capital — money
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. spell — magic
  24. nail — on a finger

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