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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 ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. rash — a series
  5. capital — a city
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. deal — to handle
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. staff — employees
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. toast — bread
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. rule — a law
  17. rule — government
  18. staff — a stick
  19. staff — employees
  20. capital — money
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — hasty
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. straw — a straw man

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