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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. bulb — for light
  3. sharp — clever
  4. mark — a trace
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. press — to push
  7. rash — a series
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. bulb — for light
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. mark — a grade
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. press — newspapers
  22. capital — money
  23. press — a publisher
  24. rash — hasty

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