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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 124 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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. capital — a city
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. date — the fruit
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. bank — for money
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. plane — a tool
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. bank — of a river
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. capital — money
  21. bank — for money
  22. wax — to grow
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. stand — to bear

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