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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: rash · cap · roll · saw · hide · capital · pass · face

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. capital — money
  3. saw — the tool
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. roll — a cake
  6. rash — a series
  7. saw — the tool
  8. cap — of ice
  9. roll — a list
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. cap — a lid
  13. face — part of the head
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. rash — hasty
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. face — to confront
  18. capital — a city
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pass — a permit
  21. cap — a hat
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. face — to point toward
  24. hide — animal skin

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