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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 120 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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. rock — a stone
  4. staff — employees
  5. land — ground
  6. capital — a city
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. staff — employees
  10. land — to come down
  11. shower — to wash
  12. firm — a company
  13. firm — decided
  14. firm — steady
  15. staff — a stick
  16. shower — rain
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. rock — music
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. land — a country
  21. bulb — for light
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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