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

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. capital — money
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. cold — not warm
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. bear — the animal
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. cold — an illness
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. snap — to click
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. bay — a horse colour

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