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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. spring — the season
  6. capital — money
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. spring — a coil
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fine — all right
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. capital — a city
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. spring — of water
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. hand — in cards
  18. rush — hurry
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. hand — help

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