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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: foot · lash · hand · bay · rule · capital · bass · cue

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. hand — in cards
  5. rule — government
  6. capital — a city
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. bass — the fish
  11. hand — help
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. cue — a signal
  14. foot — a measure
  15. bass — low music
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. capital — money
  19. cue — a hint
  20. rule — a law
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. cue — for pool

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