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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: wound · spell · capital · court · prune · face · can · stick

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  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. prune — the fruit
  2. spell — magic
  3. capital — a city
  4. wound — an injury
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. face — to point toward
  8. spell — letters
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. spell — a short time
  11. wound — an injury
  12. court — of a king
  13. court — of law
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. court — for sport
  16. can — to be able to
  17. face — to confront
  18. prune — to trim
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. face — part of the head
  23. prune — to trim
  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