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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: capital · rock · face · toast · rule · patient · mug · land

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. rule — a law
  4. mug — a face
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. rock — music
  7. toast — bread
  8. capital — a city
  9. mug — a cup
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. mug — to rob
  12. face — to confront
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. rule — government
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. land — ground
  18. capital — money
  19. land — a country
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. face — to point toward
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. face — part of the head

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