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

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. capital — money
  4. bark — to shout
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wake — a trail
  10. capital — a city
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. plane — a tool
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. chip — for betting
  15. lie — to recline
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. chip — to eat
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. racket — for tennis

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