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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 116 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: tear · bound · nail · safe · deal · capital · squash · last

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. last — to go on
  3. bound — certain
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bound — obliged
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. capital — a city
  9. squash — the sport
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. bound — tied together
  13. tear — from crying
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. tear — to rip
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. tear — from crying
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. last — finally
  20. capital — money
  21. last — final
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. deal — to handle

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