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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. object — an aim
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. saw — the tool
  7. object — to protest
  8. object — a thing
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. saw — the tool
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. lean — thin
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. snap — to click
  17. mine — for digging
  18. season — of the year
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. capital — money
  21. season — in sport
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. capital — a big letter

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