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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. snap — to click
  8. chair — a leader
  9. cap — a lid
  10. capital — money
  11. cap — of ice
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. season — of the year
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. season — in sport
  22. capital — a city
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. cap — a hat

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