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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. craft — a skill
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. season — of the year
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. sharp — clever
  8. race — the arms race
  9. season — in sport
  10. suit — to fit
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. capital — money
  16. suit — in cards
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. suit — clothes
  21. craft — boats
  22. race — a contest
  23. race — humankind
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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