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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.

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: squash · capital · face · straw · rash · pitch · nail · craft

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pitch — completely
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. capital — money
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. rash — a series
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. squash — the sport
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. capital — a city
  13. face — to confront
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. craft — boats
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. face — to point toward
  21. squash — to crush
  22. rash — hasty
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. craft — a skill

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