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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: jam · capital · can · drill · nail · leaves · snap · cold

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. cold — not warm
  5. snap — to click
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. capital — money
  8. can — a tin
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. can — to be able to
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. cold — an illness
  15. drill — the tool
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. can — a tin
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. drill — army training
  23. capital — a city
  24. 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