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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: craft · calf · rule · capital · fall · spell · saw · cue

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. rule — a law
  3. cue — a hint
  4. capital — a city
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cue — a signal
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. spell — magic
  10. fall — to drop
  11. craft — a skill
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rule — government
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — a short time
  19. fall — to drop
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. craft — boats
  24. capital — money

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