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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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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 · craft · suit · hide · nail · firm · tear · mate

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  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. tear — from crying
  2. mate — a friend
  3. firm — decided
  4. craft — a skill
  5. capital — money
  6. tear — to rip
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. mate — to breed
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. firm — steady
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. suit — clothes
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. tear — from crying
  15. suit — in cards
  16. suit — to fit
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. craft — boats
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. firm — a company
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. capital — a city
  23. mate — a partner
  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