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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 116 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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. mark — a trace
  5. firm — decided
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a grade
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. capital — money
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. wax — to grow
  14. kick — in football
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. craft — a skill
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. capital — a city
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. firm — steady
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. firm — a company
  23. craft — boats
  24. craft — a handicraft

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