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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 124 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cell · capital · bank · nail · cabinet · row

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bank — for money
  3. cell — in biology
  4. row — a line
  5. capital — money
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. row — to paddle
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. cell — a phone
  14. capital — a city
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bank — for 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