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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: wind · mouse · rule · date · saw · wound · capital · coach

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. date — the fruit
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. saw — the tool
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. rule — government
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. saw — the tool
  10. rule — a law
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wind — moving air
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wind — moving air
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. capital — money
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. wound — an injury
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. capital — a city

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