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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: nail · can · capital · saw · rule · spell · row · suit

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. saw — the tool
  3. spell — magic
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. can — a tin
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. suit — to fit
  8. spell — a short time
  9. can — a tin
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. spell — letters
  12. saw — the tool
  13. can — to be able to
  14. rule — a law
  15. suit — in cards
  16. capital — money
  17. rule — government
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. capital — a city
  20. row — to paddle
  21. suit — clothes
  22. row — a line
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. nail — for a hammer

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