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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: firm · dip · racket · lash · tear · capital

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. tear — from crying
  3. firm — a company
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. tear — to rip
  8. tear — from crying
  9. capital — money
  10. capital — a city
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. firm — decided
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. firm — steady
  18. dip — a sauce

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