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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. tear — from crying
  4. suit — clothes
  5. toast — bread
  6. kid — child
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. suit — to fit
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. tear — to rip
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. capital — money
  21. kid — to tease
  22. suit — in cards
  23. capital — a city
  24. racket — a loud noise

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