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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: hide · object · capital · wake · pass · face · row · toast

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. wake — a trail
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. face — to point toward
  5. toast — bread
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. capital — a city
  12. object — a thing
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. object — an aim
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. face — to confront
  17. pass — a permit
  18. face — part of the head
  19. object — to protest
  20. row — a line
  21. capital — money
  22. row — to paddle
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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