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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — army training
  4. capital — a city
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. rule — a law
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. capital — money
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. saw — the tool
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. drill — a practice
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. rule — government
  21. saw — the tool
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. mouse — the animal

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