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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: cue · hand · safe · pitcher · capital · craft · chest · lash

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. cue — a hint
  3. chest — of your body
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. hand — in cards
  9. capital — a city
  10. capital — money
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. cue — for pool
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. hand — help
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. craft — boats
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. craft — a skill
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. cue — a signal
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. chest — of your body

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