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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: ruler · capital · plane · track · lean · date · pass · snap

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. lean — to bend
  3. pass — a permit
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. capital — a city
  6. date — the fruit
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. lean — thin
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. track — to keep track
  19. track — a path
  20. snap — to click
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. track — a song
  23. capital — money
  24. plane — a 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