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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. capital — a city
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. capital — money
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. bear — the animal
  9. lie — to recline
  10. cap — a hat
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. lean — to bend
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. lean — thin
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. cap — of ice
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. bear — the animal
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. cap — a lid
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. capital — a big letter

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