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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 116 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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. net — after costs
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to point toward
  5. squash — the sport
  6. net — for catching
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — of ice
  9. season — in sport
  10. net — in sport
  11. suit — in cards
  12. suit — to fit
  13. face — to confront
  14. squash — to crush
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. plane — a tool
  17. cap — a hat
  18. capital — money
  19. season — of the year
  20. capital — a city
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. plane — in geometry

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