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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.

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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: rule · drill · can · bank · capital · fan · tear · stick

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. tear — to rip
  3. bank — of a river
  4. tear — from crying
  5. capital — money
  6. drill — a practice
  7. bank — for money
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. rule — a law
  11. rule — government
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. capital — a city
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. drill — the tool
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. bank — for money
  21. can — a tin
  22. drill — army training
  23. can — a tin
  24. tear — from crying

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