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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: hide · capital · tube · mug · mate · staff · wake · drill

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. mug — a face
  3. mug — a cup
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. staff — a stick
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. capital — a city
  10. mate — to breed
  11. capital — money
  12. drill — a practice
  13. tube — a container
  14. drill — the tool
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mug — to rob
  17. drill — army training
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — employees
  21. mate — a friend
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. mate — a partner
  24. tube — the underground

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