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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  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. tube — a container
  2. tube — the underground
  3. lean — to bend
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. capital — a city
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lean — thin
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. capital — money
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. snap — to click
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. pitch — completely
  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