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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. capital — a city
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. swing — to play on
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. wound — an injury
  13. swing — in golf
  14. wound — an injury
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — to recline
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. capital — money
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — of a river

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