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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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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: pass · wave · bark · straw · capital · lash · chip · temple

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. pass — a permit
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. capital — money
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. bark — to shout
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. chip — to eat
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. chip — for betting
  24. capital — a city

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