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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: hand · bulb · capital · mug · file · ground · pass · plane

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. ground — crushed
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. mug — a face
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. file — a line of people
  8. ground — the earth
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — for light
  11. capital — money
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. capital — a city
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. file — a tool
  17. plane — a tool
  18. mug — to rob
  19. hand — help
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. ground — a position
  22. file — a document
  23. mug — a cup
  24. pass — a permit

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