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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: rule · fall · rush · kick · pass · capital

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. rule — government
  3. rush — hurry
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. capital — a city
  8. kick — in football
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — a law
  11. fall — to drop
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pass — a permit
  15. fall — to drop
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. capital — money
  18. kick — with a leg

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