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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 120 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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Word bank
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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. last — final
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. capital — a city
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. capital — money
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. pass — a permit
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. last — to go on
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. kick — in football
  21. last — finally
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. pitch — completely

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