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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 · tube · face · cabinet · stand · bore · bat · bank

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. face — part of the head
  3. bore — to tire
  4. capital — money
  5. face — to point toward
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bank — for money
  10. tube — a container
  11. bank — of a river
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. tube — the underground
  16. capital — a city
  17. bat — the animal
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. stand — to bear
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bore — to drill
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. face — to confront

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