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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. capital — a city
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. drill — a practice
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. drill — army training
  11. bank — of a river
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. drill — the tool
  18. pitch — completely
  19. bank — for money
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. capital — money
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bank — for money
  24. perch — the fish

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