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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.

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: chair · fine · spring · bore · capital · lash · wake · firm

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. chair — a leader
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. fine — high quality
  7. bore — to tire
  8. firm — steady
  9. firm — a company
  10. spring — of water
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. spring — the season
  15. capital — money
  16. spring — a coil
  17. firm — decided
  18. wake — a trail
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. bore — to drill
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. lash — an eyelash
  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