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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 120 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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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 · cabinet · wave · nail · bay · land · wake · kid

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. wake — a trail
  3. land — a country
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. capital — money
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. capital — a city
  9. land — ground
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. kid — to tease
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. kid — child
  21. land — to come down
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. bay — a horse colour

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