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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: fall · rash · capital · rule · current · sharp · mug · cap

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. rule — a law
  3. capital — a city
  4. fall — to drop
  5. current — happening now
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. current — of water
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. rash — hasty
  10. sharp — clever
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. capital — money
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. mug — a cup
  15. cap — a hat
  16. rule — government
  17. mug — a face
  18. cap — a lid
  19. fall — the season
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. fall — to drop
  22. mug — to rob
  23. current — electric
  24. rash — a series

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