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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mouse · coach · drill · capital · can · bay · cold · staff

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. cold — not warm
  3. staff — employees
  4. can — a tin
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. capital — money
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. cold — an illness
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. staff — employees
  14. drill — army training
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. drill — the tool
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. staff — a stick
  24. drill — a practice

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