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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 120 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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. hand — in cards
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. kid — child
  7. branch — a division
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. capital — money
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. hand — help
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lie — to recline
  20. capital — a city
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. kid — to tease
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. racket — a loud noise

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