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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. suit — to fit
  3. bass — the fish
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. suit — clothes
  6. suit — in cards
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. capital — a city
  13. foot — a measure
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. toast — bread
  17. capital — money
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bass — low music
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. foot — the bottom

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