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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. capital — money
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — a face
  9. capital — a city
  10. mug — to rob
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. deal — to handle
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. mouse — the animal

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