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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: club · ruler · capital · spring · face · nail · key · tube

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. face — part of the head
  5. face — to confront
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. club — for dancing
  8. spring — a coil
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — a container
  11. key — for a lock
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. spring — of water
  15. club — for golf
  16. spring — the season
  17. face — to point toward
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. key — the most important part
  20. capital — a city
  21. tube — the underground
  22. capital — money
  23. club — a group
  24. ruler — for measuring

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