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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — tied together
  5. capital — a city
  6. bound — obliged
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — a division
  9. mug — a face
  10. rock — music
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rock — a stone
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. capital — money
  15. wind — moving air
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mark — a trace
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. wind — moving air
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mark — a grade

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