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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: mug · jam · band · capital · bark · suit · snap · plane

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. mug — a cup
  3. suit — clothes
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. bark — to shout
  7. capital — money
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. suit — to fit
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. band — a ring
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. snap — to click
  14. suit — in cards
  15. mug — to rob
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. mug — a face
  18. band — a music group
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. capital — a city
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. plane — a tool

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