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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.

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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 · bay · rock · staff · tear · cell · mark · nail

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. rock — a stone
  4. mark — a trace
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. staff — employees
  8. cell — a phone
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. capital — money
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. tear — to rip
  14. tear — from crying
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. tear — from crying
  18. cell — in biology
  19. staff — a stick
  20. capital — a city
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — music
  23. staff — employees
  24. mark — a grade

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