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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. object — a thing
  3. firm — decided
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. rash — a series
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. capital — a city
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. object — an aim
  12. firm — steady
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. object — to protest
  15. rash — hasty
  16. firm — a company
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. capital — money
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. saw — the tool

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