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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. kid — child
  5. row — a line
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. suit — to fit
  8. race — a contest
  9. staff — a stick
  10. capital — a city
  11. row — to paddle
  12. capital — money
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. suit — clothes
  15. board — to get on
  16. race — the arms race
  17. staff — employees
  18. kid — to tease
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. staff — employees
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. race — humankind

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