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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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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 · mark · shower · lean · nail · saw · rest · jam

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. saw — the tool
  3. mark — a grade
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rest — a break
  7. saw — the tool
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. capital — a city
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. mark — a trace
  12. rest — what's left
  13. lean — thin
  14. capital — money
  15. lean — to bend
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. shower — rain
  19. rest — what's left
  20. shower — to wash
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. lean — to rest against

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