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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. capital — a city
  7. dip — to sink
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. charge — electricity
  11. hand — in cards
  12. bulb — for light
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. charge — in control
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. charge — a price
  18. branch — a division
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. bulb — for light
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. hand — help

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