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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: tear · capital · lash · mouse · charge · fork · sharp · mark

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mark — a grade
  4. tear — from crying
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. charge — in control
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. mark — a trace
  12. tear — to rip
  13. charge — a price
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. capital — money
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. charge — electricity
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. fork — in a road
  22. sharp — clever
  23. capital — a city
  24. tear — from crying

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