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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.

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: wound · capital · chair · pass · cap · saw · spell · last

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. spell — letters
  5. pass — a permit
  6. last — finally
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cap — a hat
  10. wound — an injury
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. capital — a city
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wound — an injury
  16. chair — a leader
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. spell — magic
  19. last — to go on
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. spell — a short time
  22. last — final
  23. capital — money
  24. cap — of ice

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