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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: lie · face · spell · tube · fall · capital · pass · can

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. can — a tin
  3. fall — to drop
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. spell — magic
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. spell — letters
  11. fall — to drop
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. face — to point toward
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. fall — the season
  17. capital — a city
  18. tube — the underground
  19. spell — a short time
  20. face — to confront
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. capital — money

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