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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. suit — to fit
  3. face — to point toward
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. chair — a leader
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. face — part of the head
  8. suit — in cards
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. craft — a skill
  11. current — electric
  12. current — happening now
  13. capital — a city
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. capital — money
  16. current — of water
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. craft — boats
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. face — to confront
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. calf — a young animal

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