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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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Word bank
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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: capital · fork · lie · nail · wind · shower · ruler · can

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. wind — moving air
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. can — a tin
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. can — a tin
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. capital — a city
  14. can — to be able to
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. shower — rain
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. fork — in a road
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. shower — to wash
  22. lie — to recline
  23. capital — money
  24. ruler — a monarch

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