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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.

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: capital · snap · last · plane · band · straw · suit · nail

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. suit — in cards
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. band — a music group
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. last — to go on
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. suit — clothes
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. capital — a city
  17. suit — to fit
  18. band — a ring
  19. last — finally
  20. last — final
  21. snap — to click
  22. capital — money
  23. plane — a tool
  24. straw — a straw man

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