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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 · wave · cap · saw · last · rule · cue · roll

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. last — final
  3. capital — a city
  4. last — to go on
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. saw — the tool
  7. rule — government
  8. roll — a list
  9. cue — a hint
  10. rule — a law
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. cap — a hat
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. capital — money
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — for pool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. cap — of ice
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. roll — a cake
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. last — finally
  24. cap — a lid

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