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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bay · lash · band · drill · can · plane · capital · tube

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. plane — a tool
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. drill — a practice
  7. tube — the underground
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. band — a music group
  10. drill — the tool
  11. band — a ring
  12. drill — army training
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. can — to be able to
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. capital — money
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. tube — a container
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. tube — in a tire

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