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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. wound — an injury
  4. stem — to come from
  5. ball — a dance
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. key — in music
  8. wound — an injury
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. ball — a great time
  11. key — the most important part
  12. fork — in a road
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. capital — money
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. capital — a city
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. key — for a lock
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. ball — a round shape

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