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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.

Make a worksheet

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: stem · face · board · march · saw · fan · kick · capital

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. face — part of the head
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. board — to get on
  8. stem — to come from
  9. march — the month
  10. march — the month
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. face — to confront
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. board — a committee
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. capital — money
  19. march — music
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. kick — in football
  22. face — to point toward
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — the tool

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