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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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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. fall — the season
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. row — to paddle
  6. fall — to drop
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. key — in music
  9. capital — money
  10. mark — a trace
  11. swing — to play on
  12. mark — a grade
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. key — for a lock
  16. swing — in golf
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. capital — a city
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. swing — music
  22. fall — to drop
  23. key — the most important part
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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