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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. capital — money
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lie — to recline
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. object — to protest
  8. present — a gift
  9. capital — a city
  10. deal — to handle
  11. object — an aim
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. object — a thing
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. present — the time now
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. snap — to click
  24. deal — a big deal

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