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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. firm — decided
  3. mug — a face
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. charge — a price
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. land — to come down
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. firm — steady
  10. firm — a company
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. land — ground
  15. charge — in control
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. charge — electricity
  19. mug — to rob
  20. land — a country
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. capital — a city
  23. mug — a cup
  24. capital — money

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