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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.

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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: staff · capital · last · kick · mark · prune · bulb · plane

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. last — finally
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. last — final
  6. staff — employees
  7. mark — a grade
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. prune — to trim
  11. capital — money
  12. mark — a trace
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. plane — a tool
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. staff — a stick
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bulb — for light
  19. staff — employees
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. capital — a city
  23. last — to go on
  24. mark — to pay attention

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