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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: capital · coach · foot · bay · row · rule · rash · cold

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. rash — a series
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. cold — an illness
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. rule — government
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. capital — a city
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. rule — a law
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. capital — money
  16. row — to paddle
  17. cold — not warm
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. rash — hasty
  22. foot — a measure
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. rash — on the skin

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