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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. capital — a city
  4. rash — a series
  5. rash — hasty
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. mug — to rob
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. mug — a cup
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. wake — a trail
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. mug — a face
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. capital — money
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. lash — an eyelash

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