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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 120 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
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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: cap · plane · vault · capital · hand · stand · stem · suit

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. suit — in cards
  3. hand — in cards
  4. suit — to fit
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. capital — a city
  7. hand — help
  8. capital — money
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. vault — a safe
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cap — a lid
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. suit — clothes
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. stem — to come from
  24. plane — a tool

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