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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. shower — rain
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. chair — a leader
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. craft — boats
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. season — of the year
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. shower — to wash
  15. capital — a city
  16. capital — money
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. wake — a trail
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. craft — a skill
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. season — in sport
  24. season — to add flavour

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