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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. capital — money
  4. capital — a city
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. season — in sport
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. mug — a cup
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. mug — a face
  14. court — of a king
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. court — for sport
  19. court — of law
  20. season — of the year
  21. mug — to rob
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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