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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. root — of a plant
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. capital — a city
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. band — a music group
  8. last — finally
  9. last — to go on
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. root — the cause
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. capital — money
  17. root — of a word
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. last — final
  21. ball — a great time
  22. band — a ring
  23. ball — a dance
  24. hide — animal skin

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