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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 · patient · leaves · capital · coach · face · game · current

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. current — happening now
  6. face — to point toward
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. game — wild animals
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. current — electric
  14. game — a match
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. capital — a city
  18. current — of water
  19. face — to confront
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. plane — a tool
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. face — part of the head
  24. capital — money

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