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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. capital — a city
  3. face — to confront
  4. pound — a weight
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. face — to point toward
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. face — part of the head
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. capital — money
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. cap — a hat
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. rule — government
  16. rule — a law
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. cap — of ice
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. capital — a big letter
  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