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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.

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: rash · mine · capital · plane · face · lie · press · pass

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. capital — a city
  3. face — part of the head
  4. plane — a tool
  5. capital — money
  6. mine — for digging
  7. rash — a series
  8. press — newspapers
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. press — to push
  12. pass — a permit
  13. press — a publisher
  14. face — to confront
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. rash — hasty
  20. lie — to recline
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. face — to point toward
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. lie — an untruth

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