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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. hand — help
  3. capital — money
  4. bank — for money
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. lean — thin
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. bank — of a river
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bank — for money
  13. lean — to bend
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. can — a tin
  16. capital — a city
  17. firm — steady
  18. can — a tin
  19. hand — in cards
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. firm — decided
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. firm — a company
  24. can — to be able to

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