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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: lie · prune · object · bank · rush · capital · nail · content

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. object — to protest
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. object — a thing
  8. capital — a city
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. prune — to trim
  12. content — happy
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. object — an aim
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. content — the amount
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bank — of a river
  23. capital — money
  24. prune — the fruit

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