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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: object · staff · nail · capital · rock · lash

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. staff — a stick
  4. object — an aim
  5. object — to protest
  6. staff — employees
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — music
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. staff — employees
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. rock — a stone
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. capital — money
  17. capital — a city
  18. 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