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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 116 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: bay · firm · plane · spell · capital · cold · stick · can

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. firm — a company
  3. plane — a tool
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. firm — decided
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. cold — an illness
  9. capital — a city
  10. can — a tin
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — letters
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. cold — not warm
  16. can — to be able to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. capital — money
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. can — a tin
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. firm — steady
  24. spell — a short time

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