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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. rest — what's left
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. capital — money
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. rest — a break
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pound — a weight
  20. sharp — clever
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. chair — a leader

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