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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. firm — a company
  3. capital — money
  4. cue — a hint
  5. bank — for money
  6. firm — decided
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. capital — a city
  9. current — of water
  10. fall — to drop
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. cue — for pool
  13. firm — steady
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. current — electric
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bank — for money
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. fall — the season
  21. bank — of a river
  22. current — happening now
  23. cue — a signal
  24. racket — for tennis

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