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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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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: capital · craft · suit · mug · temple · wound · lash · stick

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. mug — a face
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. suit — in cards
  6. craft — a skill
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. craft — boats
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. capital — a city
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. suit — to fit
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. capital — money
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. mug — a cup
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — an injury
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. suit — clothes
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. mug — to rob

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