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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 120 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: capital · drill · coach · race · deal · hide · hand · cue

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. deal — to handle
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. drill — a practice
  7. drill — army training
  8. capital — money
  9. capital — a city
  10. hand — in cards
  11. cue — for pool
  12. race — a contest
  13. drill — the tool
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. cue — a hint
  17. race — the arms race
  18. hand — help
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. cue — a signal
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. hand — part of the body

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