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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: deal · lie · capital · nail · drill · can · tear · sharp

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. sharp — clever
  3. drill — army training
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — to recline
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. can — a tin
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. drill — a practice
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. tear — to rip
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. tear — from crying
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. drill — the tool
  17. can — a tin
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. can — to be able to
  20. deal — to handle
  21. capital — money
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. capital — a city
  24. tear — from crying

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