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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: leaves · bowl · squash · capital · nail · ball · kick · lie

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. capital — a city
  4. capital — money
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. lie — to recline
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. squash — to crush
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — the sport
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. kick — in football
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ball — a round shape

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