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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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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: stand · nail · capital · mate · dip · ground · kick · stick

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ground — a position
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mate — a friend
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. ground — crushed
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. capital — money
  13. capital — a city
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. dip — to sink
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. mate — to breed
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. kick — in football
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. capital — a big letter

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