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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. swing — in golf
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. capital — money
  5. swing — to play on
  6. swing — music
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. object — a thing
  9. capital — a city
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. plane — a tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. object — to protest
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. object — an aim
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. saw — the tool
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wake — a trail

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