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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. stand — to bear
  3. capital — a city
  4. lie — to recline
  5. ground — a position
  6. capital — money
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. season — of the year
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. season — in sport
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. stock — shares
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. stock — goods
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ground — crushed
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — in cards

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