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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 120 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. bank — for money
  4. bound — certain
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. bound — obliged
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bank — for money
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. capital — money
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. capital — a city
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cell — a phone
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — part of the head
  24. fork — in a road

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