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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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. capital — a city
  6. capital — money
  7. cell — a phone
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. mate — a partner
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. pit — in a race
  15. mate — to breed
  16. pit — a hole
  17. cell — in biology
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. chip — to eat
  21. mate — a friend
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. chip — for betting
  24. branch — a division

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