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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 116 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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. capital — a city
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. lean — to bend
  10. pitch — completely
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. rest — what's left
  13. lean — thin
  14. content — the amount
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. craft — boats
  20. content — happy
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. capital — money
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. rest — a break

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