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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: kick · mug · rule · roll · key · wave · hide · capital

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. mug — to rob
  3. capital — money
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. roll — a list
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. key — for a lock
  11. key — in music
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. mug — a cup
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. roll — a cake
  18. mug — a face
  19. kick — in football
  20. capital — a city
  21. key — the most important part
  22. rule — government
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. rule — a law

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