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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. capital — money
  3. suit — clothes
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. suit — to fit
  7. court — for sport
  8. court — of a king
  9. suit — in cards
  10. court — of law
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rule — government
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. lean — to bend
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bear — the animal
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. lean — thin
  19. capital — a city
  20. kick — in football
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. rule — a law
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. nail — on a finger

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