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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bound — tied together
  4. spring — of water
  5. bank — for money
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bound — obliged
  9. spring — the season
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bound — certain
  12. capital — a city
  13. spring — a coil
  14. bank — for money
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. face — to point toward
  18. face — part of the head
  19. face — to confront
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. capital — 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