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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. roll — a cake
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. pop — soda
  8. capital — a city
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. squash — the sport
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. pop — to visit
  19. wake — a trail
  20. roll — a list
  21. pop — music
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. squash — to crush
  24. temple — a place of worship

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