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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: mark · wound · lash · bay · fan · ruler · leaves · capital

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. capital — a city
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. capital — money
  8. wound — an injury
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. wound — an injury
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. mark — a grade
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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