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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.

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: arm · deal · lash · fan · track · sharp · capital · cap

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. sharp — clever
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. capital — a city
  9. track — a song
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. capital — money
  12. track — a path
  13. track — to keep track
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. cap — a lid
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. deal — to handle
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. cap — of ice
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. arm — part of the body

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