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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 116 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. firm — a company
  3. firm — decided
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. land — to come down
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wound — an injury
  10. capital — a city
  11. branch — a division
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. firm — steady
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. pass — a permit
  20. land — a country
  21. bass — low music
  22. land — ground
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. capital — a big letter

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