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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 do anything ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. swing — music
  8. dip — to sink
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. capital — money
  11. swing — to play on
  12. squash — to crush
  13. capital — a city
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. swing — in golf
  16. squash — the sport
  17. staff — employees
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. staff — a stick
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. staff — employees
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rash — a series

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