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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 124 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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. charge — a price
  5. charge — in control
  6. field — a subject
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. saw — the tool
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. capital — a city
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. field — for sport
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — to bear
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. charge — electricity
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. sharp — clever
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. capital — money
  23. field — farmland
  24. cabinet — ministers

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