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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. capital — a city
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. board — a committee
  5. current — electric
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. capital — money
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. squash — the sport
  12. deal — to handle
  13. squash — to crush
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. board — to get on
  16. current — happening now
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. foot — a measure
  19. current — of water
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bore — to drill
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. deal — a big deal

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