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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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. current — of water
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. current — happening now
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. wound — an injury
  10. current — electric
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. cue — for pool
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. cue — a hint
  15. kid — child
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. capital — money
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. cue — a signal
  20. wound — an injury
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. capital — a city
  23. rush — hurry
  24. kid — to tease

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