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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.

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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: fine · bay · deal · capital · lash · chest · field · rush

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. capital — a city
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. field — for sport
  15. rush — hurry
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. field — farmland
  20. capital — money
  21. chest — a box
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. field — a subject
  24. fine — all right

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