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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: capital · spring · foot · rock · cell · bay · rush · plane

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. spring — of water
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. plane — a tool
  6. foot — a measure
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. capital — a city
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rock — a stone
  13. cell — in biology
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. rock — music
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. cell — a phone
  19. spring — a coil
  20. capital — money
  21. spring — the season
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. foot — part of the body

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