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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.

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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: bank · row · face · capital · toast · pass · ruler · snap

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — for money
  4. pass — a permit
  5. capital — a city
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to click
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. face — part of the head
  13. capital — money
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bank — of a river
  16. toast — bread
  17. face — to confront
  18. row — to paddle
  19. row — a line
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. face — to point toward
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. pass — to spend time

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