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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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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. vault — a safe
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. charge — a price
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. charge — in control
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. charge — electricity
  11. capital — money
  12. capital — a city
  13. bank — for money
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bank — of a river
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. wake — a trail
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bank — for money

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