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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. capital — a city
  5. bore — to drill
  6. capital — money
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. kid — child
  14. bore — to tire
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. wake — a trail
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rash — a series
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. kid — to tease

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