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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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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: lash · stick · cue · pound · tear · capital · board · mug

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. cue — for pool
  5. pound — a weight
  6. board — a committee
  7. tear — from crying
  8. mug — a face
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. cue — a hint
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. mug — a cup
  13. board — to get on
  14. cue — a signal
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. mug — to rob
  19. capital — money
  20. capital — a city
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. tear — from crying
  24. board — a flat piece

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