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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. capital — a city
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. capital — money
  6. tear — to rip
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — from crying
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. swing — to play on
  14. content — the amount
  15. fall — the season
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. swing — in golf
  19. fall — to drop
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. swing — music
  23. content — happy
  24. fall — to drop

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