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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mate · bank · cap · can · capital · face

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. face — to point toward
  3. mate — a partner
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. cap — a lid
  6. can — a tin
  7. bank — for money
  8. can — a tin
  9. face — to confront
  10. capital — a city
  11. mate — a friend
  12. capital — money
  13. bank — for money
  14. cap — of ice
  15. face — part of the head
  16. bank — of a river
  17. can — to be able to
  18. cap — a hat

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