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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. firm — steady
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. cap — a hat
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. charge — in control
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. capital — a city
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. capital — money
  19. charge — electricity
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. charge — a price
  24. firm — decided

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