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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 · snap · kick · date · squash · cap · leaves · nail

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — a hat
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. cap — of ice
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. squash — the sport
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. squash — to crush
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. capital — a city
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. capital — money
  19. date — the fruit
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. kick — in football
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. snap — to click

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