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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. capital — a city
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. firm — a company
  9. swing — music
  10. bear — the animal
  11. swing — to play on
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bear — the animal
  14. charge — in control
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. swing — in golf
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. charge — a price
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. firm — steady
  23. capital — money
  24. branch — a division

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