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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 116 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 second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. row — a line
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. capital — a city
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bark — to shout
  8. face — to confront
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. lie — to recline
  11. row — to paddle
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. object — a thing
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. face — part of the head
  16. face — to point toward
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. object — to protest
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. object — an aim
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. row — a quarrel

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