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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: nail · ruler · mate · capital · saw · object · prune · leaves

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. saw — the tool
  3. object — a thing
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. prune — to trim
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. saw — the tool
  11. mate — a friend
  12. prune — to trim
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — to breed
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. object — an aim
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. capital — money
  24. object — to protest

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