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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 124 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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. capital — money
  3. capital — a city
  4. pound — a weight
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. face — part of the head
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. key — in music
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. face — to confront
  14. face — to point toward
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. stem — to come from
  17. key — for a lock
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. plane — a tool
  22. bore — to tire
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. key — the most important part

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