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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: plane · capital · rule · lash · pass · game · saw · spring

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. plane — a tool
  5. game — wild animals
  6. capital — a city
  7. saw — the tool
  8. spring — the season
  9. saw — the tool
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. rule — a law
  18. rule — government
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. capital — money
  21. pass — a permit
  22. game — a match
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. spring — a coil

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