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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 116 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: firm · pass · face · capital · game · wind · cabinet · cap

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. firm — decided
  3. wind — moving air
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. game — wild animals
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. pass — a permit
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. capital — a city
  15. face — to point toward
  16. cap — a lid
  17. wind — moving air
  18. face — part of the head
  19. firm — a company
  20. game — a match
  21. face — to confront
  22. firm — steady
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. game — a kind of play

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