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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: cue · spell · rush · capital · can · stick · cap · trunk

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cue — a hint
  3. capital — money
  4. cue — a signal
  5. spell — a short time
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. can — to be able to
  8. spell — letters
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. capital — a city
  11. rush — hurry
  12. cap — of ice
  13. can — a tin
  14. cap — a hat
  15. spell — magic
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. can — a tin
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. cue — for pool
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. capital — a big letter

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