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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
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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: face · fan · capital · prune · rock · wind · roll · track

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. face — part of the head
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. track — a path
  7. roll — a list
  8. track — to keep track
  9. face — to confront
  10. prune — to trim
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. roll — a cake
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. wind — moving air
  15. track — a song
  16. capital — money
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. face — to point toward
  20. prune — to trim
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rock — music
  23. wind — moving air
  24. capital — a city

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