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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. capital — a city
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. capital — money
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. row — to paddle
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. row — a line
  18. mark — a grade

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