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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. capital — a city
  3. kid — to tease
  4. mug — to rob
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. kid — child
  7. staff — a stick
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. mug — a cup
  16. capital — money
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. fork — in a road
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. staff — employees
  22. mug — a face
  23. staff — employees
  24. arm — a part of something

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