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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: squash · last · nail · lean · rock · capital · bark · ruler

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. last — to go on
  5. lean — to bend
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. squash — the sport
  8. rock — a stone
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. squash — to crush
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. capital — a city
  19. rock — music
  20. bark — to shout
  21. lean — thin
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. last — finally
  24. last — final

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