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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. clip — to cut
  3. clip — a video
  4. clip — for paper
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. tube — a container
  12. current — electric
  13. bank — for money
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. current — of water
  16. bank — for money
  17. current — happening now
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. capital — a city
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. tube — the underground

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