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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: roll · firm · hand · capital · rule · wave · scale · hide

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. roll — a list
  4. firm — steady
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. firm — a company
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. scale — in music
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. firm — decided
  14. rule — government
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rule — a law
  17. hand — help
  18. scale — size or range
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. roll — a cake
  21. hand — in cards
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. capital — money
  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