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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. club — for golf
  4. club — a group
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. club — for dancing
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. capital — a city
  9. capital — money
  10. rule — government
  11. face — to point toward
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. land — a country
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — of a river
  17. wake — a trail
  18. land — to come down
  19. rule — a law
  20. bank — for money
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. face — part of the head
  23. land — ground
  24. face — to confront

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