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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: bore · wake · deal · face · cap · last · trunk · capital

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. cap — a lid
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. last — to go on
  6. cap — of ice
  7. capital — a city
  8. face — part of the head
  9. bore — to drill
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. bore — to tire
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. face — to confront
  18. capital — money
  19. last — finally
  20. cap — a hat
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. face — to point toward
  23. last — final
  24. deal — to handle

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