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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.

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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: wound · calf · nail · cap · snap · file · pass · capital

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. cap — a lid
  4. wound — an injury
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. cap — of ice
  9. capital — money
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. wound — an injury
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. file — a tool
  15. cap — a hat
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. file — a document
  20. snap — to click
  21. file — a line of people
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. capital — a city

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