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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. capital — money
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. squash — the sport
  7. fall — to drop
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. fall — the season
  11. saw — the tool
  12. squash — to crush
  13. band — a ring
  14. content — the amount
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. content — happy
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. fall — to drop
  20. band — a music group
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. saw — the tool
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. capital — a city

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