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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. spell — letters
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. spell — a short time
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. staff — a stick
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. stock — goods
  14. capital — money
  15. spell — magic
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. staff — employees
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. stock — shares
  22. staff — employees
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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