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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: plane · root · capital · charge · firm · face · kid · shower

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. root — of a plant
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. firm — decided
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. face — to point toward
  8. plane — a tool
  9. face — part of the head
  10. root — of a word
  11. capital — money
  12. shower — rain
  13. root — the cause
  14. kid — child
  15. charge — a price
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. charge — in control
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. shower — to wash
  20. firm — a company
  21. face — to confront
  22. capital — a city
  23. firm — steady
  24. charge — electricity

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