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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 116 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: court · face · cabinet · dip · rest · capital · sharp · suit

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. face — part of the head
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. capital — money
  5. dip — to sink
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. capital — a city
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — to fit
  11. rest — what's left
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. court — of law
  14. court — for sport
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. face — to point toward
  17. rest — a break
  18. face — to confront
  19. rest — what's left
  20. suit — clothes
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. court — of a king
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. dip — a sauce

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