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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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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: tear · wake · capital · saw · ruler · bowl · bound · nail

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bound — tied together
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. tear — from crying
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. tear — to rip
  10. bound — certain
  11. capital — money
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. capital — a city
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bound — obliged
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. saw — the tool
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. bowl — a football final

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