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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. swing — music
  7. spell — magic
  8. swing — to play on
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. foot — a measure
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. spell — letters
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. capital — money
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. wax — to grow
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pit — in a race
  20. swing — in golf
  21. pit — a hole
  22. spell — a short time
  23. capital — a city
  24. bear — the animal

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