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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
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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 · face · bank · fine · swing · band · cabinet

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — a hat
  3. swing — music
  4. face — to point toward
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. swing — to play on
  7. bank — of a river
  8. band — a ring
  9. bank — for money
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. band — a music group
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cap — of ice
  14. face — part of the head
  15. fine — high quality
  16. face — to confront
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. bank — for money
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fine — all right
  22. plane — a tool
  23. swing — in golf
  24. plane — in geometry

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