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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: can · nail · capital · fall · wake · bound · fine · lash

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fine — all right
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. capital — money
  12. bound — certain
  13. fall — the season
  14. fine — high quality
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. can — a tin
  17. capital — a city
  18. wake — a trail
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bound — tied together
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. bound — obliged

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