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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: key · saw · hand · plane · rush · capital · perch · kick

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. capital — money
  3. hand — in cards
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. key — for a lock
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. rush — hurry
  10. capital — a city
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. key — in music
  13. perch — the fish
  14. hand — help
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. plane — a tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. key — the most important part
  22. kick — in football
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. kick — a thrill

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