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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. capital — money
  4. rush — hurry
  5. staff — employees
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. cue — for pool
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. staff — a stick
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. cue — a signal
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. staff — employees
  20. capital — a city
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. arm — part of the body

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