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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. game — wild animals
  5. capital — a city
  6. current — happening now
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. chair — a leader
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. dip — to sink
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — a match
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. capital — money
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. current — of water
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. current — electric
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. dip — a sauce

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