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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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. bank — for money
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. face — part of the head
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. plane — a tool
  7. face — to point toward
  8. capital — a city
  9. swing — music
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. bank — of a river
  14. swing — to play on
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. face — to confront
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bank — for money
  22. swing — in golf
  23. capital — money
  24. plane — an aircraft

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