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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. firm — steady
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. tear — to rip
  6. tear — from crying
  7. root — of a word
  8. firm — decided
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. root — the cause
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. capital — money
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. scale — in music
  18. scale — size or range
  19. pit — in a race
  20. tear — from crying
  21. root — of a plant
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. capital — a city
  24. pit — a hole

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