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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. bank — for money
  3. saw — the tool
  4. capital — money
  5. saw — the tool
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. bank — of a river
  8. object — an aim
  9. object — to protest
  10. object — a thing
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. last — final
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. last — to go on
  16. lean — thin
  17. last — finally
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. lean — to bend
  20. rock — a stone
  21. bank — for money
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. rock — music

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