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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 120 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: leaves · lie · capital · coach · net · calf · cap · plane

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. net — in sport
  4. cap — a hat
  5. net — for catching
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. net — after costs
  8. capital — money
  9. lie — to recline
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. capital — a city
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. plane — a tool
  23. cap — a lid
  24. lie — an untruth

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