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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. lean — to bend
  4. capital — a city
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bulb — for light
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. lean — thin
  13. mine — for digging
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. rock — music
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. rush — hurry
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. bulb — for light
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. rush — a thrill

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