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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. capital — a city
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. squash — to crush
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. stand — to bear
  9. rush — hurry
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. dip — to sink
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. cell — in biology
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. squash — the sport
  19. vault — a safe
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. cell — a phone
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. lash — an eyelash

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