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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. chair — a leader
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. press — to push
  5. can — a tin
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. can — a tin
  8. track — a path
  9. capital — a city
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. can — to be able to
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. capital — money
  17. press — a publisher
  18. press — newspapers
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. track — a song
  22. track — to keep track
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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