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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: pass · lean · pitcher · wound · plane · squash · craft · capital

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. wound — an injury
  4. squash — to crush
  5. craft — a skill
  6. lean — to bend
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. wound — an injury
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. capital — a city
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. squash — the sport
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. lean — thin
  22. plane — a tool
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. craft — boats

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