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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. capital — money
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. chip — to eat
  8. content — happy
  9. spring — the season
  10. spring — of water
  11. pass — a permit
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. spring — a coil
  20. chip — for betting
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. capital — a city
  24. content — videos and posts

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