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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: lie · cabinet · bear · plane · pass · capital · present · land

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. lie — to recline
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bear — the animal
  7. capital — money
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. present — the time now
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. land — a country
  13. present — there
  14. plane — a tool
  15. capital — a city
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bear — the animal
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. land — ground
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. land — to come down
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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