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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: stick · wax · mate · saw · capital · spell · dip · rule

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rule — a law
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mate — a friend
  8. spell — a short time
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. mate — to breed
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. capital — money
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. mate — a partner
  16. spell — letters
  17. saw — the tool
  18. capital — a city
  19. wax — to grow
  20. rule — government
  21. dip — to sink
  22. saw — the tool
  23. spell — magic
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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