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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. plane — a tool
  5. spring — the season
  6. can — to be able to
  7. capital — a city
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. can — a tin
  12. deal — to handle
  13. land — ground
  14. row — a line
  15. spring — of water
  16. land — a country
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. can — a tin
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. land — to come down
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. spring — a coil
  24. capital — money

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