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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. rule — a law
  9. scale — in music
  10. capital — a city
  11. row — a line
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. chair — a leader
  16. row — to paddle
  17. lie — to recline
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. rule — government
  22. capital — money
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. scale — for weighing

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