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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — high quality
  3. capital — a city
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. cue — a signal
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. cue — a hint
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. capital — money
  20. cue — for pool
  21. pass — a permit
  22. date — the fruit
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. date — on the calendar

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