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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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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: face · bank · net · roll · capital · nail · dip · tube

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. capital — money
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. capital — a city
  7. roll — a cake
  8. bank — for money
  9. net — after costs
  10. bank — for money
  11. face — to point toward
  12. tube — the underground
  13. net — for catching
  14. net — in sport
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. roll — a list
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. face — to confront
  20. face — part of the head
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. tube — a container
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bank — of a river

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