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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. firm — steady
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. spell — a short time
  7. band — a music group
  8. can — to be able to
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. firm — decided
  11. charge — in control
  12. charge — electricity
  13. spell — magic
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. band — a ring
  16. capital — money
  17. can — a tin
  18. spell — letters
  19. foot — a measure
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. firm — a company
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. can — a tin
  24. charge — a price

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