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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: scale · kick · cap · capital · nail · key · rush · snap

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. key — in music
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. scale — in music
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. capital — money
  9. cap — a hat
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — hurry
  12. snap — to click
  13. kick — in football
  14. key — the most important part
  15. cap — a lid
  16. scale — size or range
  17. key — for a lock
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. capital — a city
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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