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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: bay · capital · chair · last · arm · hand · mouse · nail

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. capital — a city
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. hand — help
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. chair — a leader
  14. last — to go on
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. capital — money
  17. last — finally
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. last — final
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. hand — part of the body

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