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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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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: nail · wake · stick · spell · mate · leaves · lash · capital

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. mate — to breed
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — letters
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — a partner
  14. spell — magic
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. capital — money
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. capital — a city
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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