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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: fan · capital · rule · rush · bark · can · patient · nail

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. bark — to shout
  4. can — a tin
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. rule — government
  8. rule — a law
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. capital — money
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. capital — a city
  17. can — to be able to
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — hurry
  21. can — a tin
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. fan — to cool the air

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