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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: lash · capital · fine · craft · stick · bay · tear · foot

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. tear — from crying
  4. capital — money
  5. fine — all right
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. fine — high quality
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. tear — to rip
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. craft — a skill
  15. tear — from crying
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. foot — a measure
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. capital — a city
  23. craft — boats
  24. fine — a penalty

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