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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. capital — money
  4. can — a tin
  5. board — to get on
  6. capital — a city
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. can — a tin
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. can — to be able to
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bear — the animal
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. board — a committee

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