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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 112 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: capital · object · rest · land · stick · face · staff · deal

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  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. staff — a stick
  2. land — a country
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. rest — a break
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. capital — money
  8. deal — to handle
  9. land — ground
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. object — a thing
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. capital — a city
  15. rest — what's left
  16. object — an aim
  17. rest — what's left
  18. staff — employees
  19. land — to come down
  20. face — part of the head
  21. object — to protest
  22. face — to point toward
  23. staff — employees
  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