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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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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: bear · staff · rule · rest · capital · plane

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. rest — a break
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. rule — a law
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. capital — a city
  12. staff — employees
  13. plane — a tool
  14. rule — government
  15. staff — a stick
  16. rest — what's left
  17. staff — employees
  18. rest — what's left

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