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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. rest — a break
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. capital — money
  9. mine — for digging
  10. capital — a city
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. swing — to play on
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. object — an aim
  15. object — a thing
  16. stand — to bear
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. swing — music
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. rest — what's left
  22. swing — in golf
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. object — to protest

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