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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: fine · lie · saw · march · face · can · season · capital

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. saw — the tool
  3. march — the month
  4. capital — money
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — to recline
  7. face — to point toward
  8. can — a tin
  9. capital — a city
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. march — the month
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. fine — high quality
  15. face — to confront
  16. march — music
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. can — a tin
  20. season — of the year
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. season — in sport
  23. face — part of the head
  24. fine — all right

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