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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. face — part of the head
  3. capital — a city
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. face — to point toward
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. wake — a trail
  9. shower — to wash
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. capital — money
  12. shower — rain
  13. staff — employees
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. face — to confront
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. chair — a leader
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — a stick
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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