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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: face · capital · cell · date · rest · bank · drill · suit

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bank — of a river
  4. cell — in biology
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. suit — to fit
  7. bank — for money
  8. face — to confront
  9. rest — a break
  10. face — to point toward
  11. rest — what's left
  12. capital — money
  13. bank — for money
  14. suit — clothes
  15. drill — a practice
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. drill — army training
  18. capital — a city
  19. face — part of the head
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — the fruit
  22. cell — a phone
  23. drill — the tool
  24. capital — a big letter

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