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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 120 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: capital · drill · hide · wake · rash · coach · mouse · lie

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  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. capital — a big letter
  2. capital — a city
  3. drill — the tool
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. drill — a practice
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. drill — army training
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. lie — to recline
  18. rash — a series
  19. rash — hasty
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. lie — an untruth
  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