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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 116 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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. spell — magic
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. spell — letters
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. spell — a short time
  9. suit — clothes
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. suit — in cards
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. prune — to trim
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. rush — hurry
  18. suit — to fit
  19. capital — a city
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. deal — to handle
  24. capital — money

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