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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: capital · band · swing · spring · staff · lie · plane · pass

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. plane — a tool
  3. swing — music
  4. spring — a coil
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. lie — to recline
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. staff — employees
  9. band — a ring
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. swing — to play on
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. staff — employees
  14. band — a music group
  15. capital — money
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. swing — in golf
  18. pass — a permit
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. capital — a city
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. staff — a stick
  23. spring — the season
  24. pass — to succeed

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