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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: face · stand · can · march · capital · lash · plane · bear

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. bear — the animal
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. can — to be able to
  9. march — the month
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — a tool
  13. march — the month
  14. capital — a city
  15. face — part of the head
  16. march — music
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. face — to confront
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. can — a tin
  21. bear — the animal
  22. capital — money
  23. face — to point toward
  24. can — a tin

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