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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. mark — a grade
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. row — to paddle
  5. suit — to fit
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. wax — to grow
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. suit — clothes
  11. fine — all right
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. row — a line
  14. mark — a trace
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. capital — money
  21. suit — in cards
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. capital — a city
  24. capital — a big letter

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