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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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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: pass · bulb · bank · leaves · capital · rest · fine · plane

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. fine — high quality
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pass — a permit
  6. fine — all right
  7. rest — what's left
  8. capital — money
  9. bank — for money
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. bank — for money
  12. plane — a tool
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. capital — a city
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. rest — a break
  20. bank — of a river
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. bulb — for light
  24. plane — in geometry

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