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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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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: capital · ruler · sharp · wake · bound · clip · cap · tube

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. bound — tied together
  3. cap — of ice
  4. tube — a container
  5. tube — the underground
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wake — a trail
  8. sharp — clever
  9. bound — certain
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. clip — for paper
  12. clip — to cut
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. capital — a city
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cap — a hat
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. bound — obliged
  19. capital — money
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. clip — a video
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. tube — in a tire

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