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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · spell · can · march · club · lash · ruler · nail

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. club — a group
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. spell — magic
  5. can — to be able to
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. march — the month
  9. can — a tin
  10. spell — a short time
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. capital — money
  13. capital — a city
  14. can — a tin
  15. club — for golf
  16. spell — letters
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. march — the month
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. march — music
  24. club — for dancing

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