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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: vault · leaves · capital · cap · fine · face · track · prune

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. capital — money
  6. vault — a safe
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. cap — a lid
  9. track — to keep track
  10. track — a path
  11. prune — to trim
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. cap — a hat
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. track — a song
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. capital — a city
  19. face — part of the head
  20. face — to confront
  21. cap — of ice
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. fine — all right
  24. capital — a big letter

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