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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: face · nail · cap · sharp · plane · date · leaves · capital

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. face — part of the head
  3. cap — of ice
  4. face — to confront
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. cap — a lid
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. sharp — clever
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. cap — a hat
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. plane — a tool
  18. face — to point toward
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. capital — a city
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. capital — money
  24. date — on the calendar

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