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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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. race — the arms race
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. rest — what's left
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. race — humankind
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. capital — money
  13. race — a contest
  14. capital — a city
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. rest — a break
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. rest — what's left
  24. coach — a trainer

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