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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 120 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: wind · wake · capital · safe · lash · chair

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wind — moving air
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. wind — moving air
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. capital — money
  8. chair — a leader
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wake — a trail
  11. capital — a city
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lash — a whip stroke

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