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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: scale · cap · lash · spell · drill · tube · track · rule

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. track — a song
  4. drill — the tool
  5. drill — army training
  6. cap — of ice
  7. spell — magic
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. spell — a short time
  12. rule — a law
  13. track — to keep track
  14. scale — in music
  15. scale — size or range
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. spell — letters
  19. cap — a lid
  20. drill — a practice
  21. tube — a container
  22. track — a path
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. rule — government

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