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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: foot · mark · suit · can · mine · lash · capital · ground

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. mark — a trace
  4. ground — the earth
  5. suit — clothes
  6. can — a tin
  7. suit — in cards
  8. ground — a position
  9. capital — money
  10. mark — a grade
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. suit — to fit
  13. foot — a measure
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. can — to be able to
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. capital — a city
  19. can — a tin
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. ground — crushed
  23. mine — for digging
  24. foot — the bottom

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