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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. bank — for money
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. capital — money
  5. spring — the season
  6. capital — a city
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. season — in sport
  9. bank — for money
  10. spring — a coil
  11. plane — a tool
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. suit — to fit
  14. spring — of water
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bank — of a river
  17. season — of the year
  18. suit — clothes
  19. pound — a weight
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. face — to confront
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. face — part of the head
  24. suit — in cards

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