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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  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. mine — for digging
  2. suit — clothes
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. suit — to fit
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. face — to point toward
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. capital — a city
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. face — part of the head
  14. face — to confront
  15. rash — a series
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. suit — in cards
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. rash — hasty
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. capital — money

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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