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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: lean · wound · cap · suit · mate · craft · capital · wake

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wake — a trail
  3. craft — boats
  4. cap — of ice
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. cap — a hat
  9. suit — clothes
  10. lean — thin
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. cap — a lid
  14. capital — money
  15. lean — to bend
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. capital — a city
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mate — a partner
  22. suit — in cards
  23. suit — to fit
  24. wound — an injury

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