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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. bound — tied together
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bound — certain
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. last — finally
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. capital — money
  13. face — part of the head
  14. last — to go on
  15. cap — a hat
  16. last — final
  17. bulb — for light
  18. face — to confront
  19. capital — a city
  20. bound — obliged
  21. face — to point toward
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bulb — for light

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