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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. capital — a city
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. capital — money
  7. saw — the tool
  8. race — a contest
  9. deal — to handle
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. suit — clothes
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. race — the arms race
  14. suit — to fit
  15. race — humankind
  16. swing — in golf
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. swing — music
  20. suit — in cards
  21. dip — to sink
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. capital — a big letter

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