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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 120 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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. fine — all right
  3. capital — a city
  4. last — finally
  5. fork — in a road
  6. last — to go on
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. fine — high quality
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. season — of the year
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. last — final
  23. season — in sport
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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