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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. capital — a city
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. pit — a hole
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. bound — obliged
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bound — certain
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. capital — money
  17. rush — hurry
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. pit — in a race
  20. bound — tied together
  21. pass — a permit
  22. bark — to shout
  23. plane — a tool
  24. plane — an aircraft

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