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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. capital — a city
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. capital — money
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. season — of the year
  11. season — in sport
  12. branch — a division
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. snap — to click
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. plane — a tool
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. mark — a trace
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. toast — bread

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