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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: rule · bay · capital · lash · pitcher · face · stem · nail

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. capital — money
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. face — to point toward
  15. face — to confront
  16. rule — a law
  17. stem — to come from
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. rule — government
  21. face — part of the head
  22. capital — a city
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. pitcher — a jug

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