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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 · lash · toast · bulb · temple · land · foot · staff

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. land — to come down
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. capital — money
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. foot — a measure
  7. capital — a city
  8. bulb — for light
  9. land — a country
  10. staff — employees
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. staff — employees
  19. bulb — for light
  20. staff — a stick
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. land — ground
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. toast — bread

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