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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. mate — a partner
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. capital — money
  7. field — a subject
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. field — farmland
  10. mate — a friend
  11. fine — all right
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. field — for sport
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. mate — to breed
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. fine — high quality
  23. capital — a city
  24. pass — a permit

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