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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. mark — a trace
  5. rush — hurry
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. object — to protest
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. tube — the underground
  11. wound — an injury
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. mark — a grade
  16. object — an aim
  17. object — a thing
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. capital — a city
  21. tube — a container
  22. capital — money
  23. wound — an injury
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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