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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · lash · file · toast · bore · scale · spring · wound

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. capital — a city
  3. file — a tool
  4. spring — the season
  5. scale — in music
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wound — an injury
  8. capital — money
  9. file — a line of people
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. spring — of water
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. file — a document
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. toast — bread
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bore — to drill
  23. wound — an injury
  24. spring — a coil

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