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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 120 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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. fall — to drop
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. land — to come down
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rock — music
  16. capital — a city
  17. land — ground
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. capital — money
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rash — a series
  22. fall — the season
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. rock — a stone

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