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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: mark · cold · present · capital · cap · plane · file · bore

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  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. plane — in geometry
  2. cold — an illness
  3. file — a document
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. present — there
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. present — a gift
  9. cap — of ice
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cap — a hat
  13. file — a line of people
  14. file — a tool
  15. capital — a city
  16. present — the time now
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bore — to tire
  19. mark — a trace
  20. capital — money
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. cold — not warm
  23. bore — to drill
  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