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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. stem — to come from
  5. rock — a stone
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. object — to protest
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. object — a thing
  11. rock — music
  12. capital — money
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. capital — a city
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. object — an aim
  18. stem — of a plant

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