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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: swing · face · rush · lash · capital · band · lie · object

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. capital — a city
  3. band — a music group
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. capital — money
  8. face — to point toward
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. swing — music
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. face — to confront
  15. object — to protest
  16. object — a thing
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. rush — hurry
  19. swing — to play on
  20. face — part of the head
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. band — a ring
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. swing — in golf

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