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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.

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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 · lean · squash · rush · shower · nail · straw · trunk

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. lean — thin
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. lean — to bend
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. squash — to crush
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. capital — money
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. shower — to wash
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. rush — hurry
  21. shower — rain
  22. capital — a city
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. squash — the sport

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