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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: pass · lash · chest · capital · ruler · dip

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. chest — of your body
  4. capital — a city
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. dip — to sink
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. capital — money
  12. chest — a box
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. chest — of your body
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. pass — a permit

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