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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. pit — in a race
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. fall — the season
  7. pit — a hole
  8. rest — what's left
  9. saw — the tool
  10. rest — what's left
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bass — the fish
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. bass — low music
  15. craft — a skill
  16. rest — a break
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. capital — money
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. capital — a city
  22. fall — to drop
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. craft — boats

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