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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: lie · rush · capital · swing · band · calf · bay · cue

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. capital — a city
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. cue — for pool
  6. capital — money
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. swing — in golf
  12. band — a music group
  13. band — a ring
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. rush — hurry
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. cue — a signal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. swing — music
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. swing — to play on
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. cue — a hint
  24. rush — to hurry

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