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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: hide · mouse · wave · straw · drill · mug · rest · capital

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. capital — a city
  5. rest — what's left
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. drill — a practice
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. drill — the tool
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. drill — army training
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. mug — a cup
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. mug — a face
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mug — to rob
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  24. mouse — the animal

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