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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: squash · file · bay · capital · mug · lash · ground · charge

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. file — a line of people
  5. file — a tool
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. charge — electricity
  8. squash — the sport
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. charge — a price
  12. file — a document
  13. ground — a position
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ground — crushed
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. squash — to crush
  18. capital — money
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mug — to rob
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. mug — a face
  23. charge — in control
  24. squash — the vegetable

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