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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. capital — a city
  3. deal — to handle
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. saw — the tool
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mark — a grade
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. capital — money
  17. mark — a trace
  18. cue — a signal
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. cue — for pool
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. cue — a hint
  24. temple — a place of worship

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