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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. board — to get on
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. board — a committee
  11. spell — a short time
  12. tube — a container
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. tube — the underground
  15. capital — money
  16. spell — magic
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rush — hurry
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. spell — letters
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. capital — a city
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. nail — for a hammer

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