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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: capital · track · hide · firm · rule · fan · wake · rest

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. track — to keep track
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — what's left
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. track — a path
  9. track — a song
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. firm — steady
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. firm — decided
  18. firm — a company
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wake — a trail
  21. rule — government
  22. rule — a law
  23. capital — money
  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