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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.

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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 · rush · deal · nail · tear · firm · rest · roll

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. roll — a list
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — hurry
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — what's left
  12. tear — to rip
  13. tear — from crying
  14. rest — a break
  15. firm — a company
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. firm — steady
  19. capital — money
  20. capital — a city
  21. firm — decided
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. deal — to handle
  24. roll — a cake

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