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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stand · deal · object · saw · mouse · drill · capital · leaves

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. saw — the tool
  4. deal — to handle
  5. capital — a city
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. drill — the tool
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. object — a thing
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. stand — to bear
  16. drill — army training
  17. saw — the tool
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. object — to protest
  22. object — an aim
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. capital — money

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