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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. suit — to fit
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. suit — in cards
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. wake — a trail
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. net — after costs
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. suit — clothes
  18. net — in sport
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. plane — a tool
  21. net — for catching
  22. capital — money
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — for tennis

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