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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: object · staff · nail · capital · rock · lash · bear · net

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. object — a thing
  3. capital — money
  4. object — to protest
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. staff — employees
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. staff — a stick
  11. staff — employees
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. rock — music
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — in sport
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. net — after costs
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. rock — a stone
  24. capital — a city

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