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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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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 · craft · saw · rule · fan · deal · kick · wind

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. saw — the tool
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. saw — the tool
  6. capital — money
  7. craft — a skill
  8. rule — government
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. deal — to handle
  12. craft — boats
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. wind — moving air
  15. capital — a city
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. wind — moving air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. rule — a law
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. capital — a big letter

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