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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: stick · spell · suit · season · kick · capital · face · sharp

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. season — of the year
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. sharp — clever
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. face — part of the head
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. kick — in football
  9. suit — clothes
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — a short time
  12. capital — money
  13. face — to point toward
  14. season — in sport
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. spell — letters
  17. suit — in cards
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. face — to confront
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. suit — to fit

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