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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 120 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
468
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: land · ball · capital · suit · straw · plane · wake · stick

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. capital — a city
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wake — a trail
  5. suit — in cards
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. land — ground
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. plane — a tool
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. suit — to fit
  20. land — to come down
  21. ball — a great time
  22. capital — money
  23. land — a country
  24. suit — clothes

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