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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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Word bank
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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: object · cabinet · snap · capital · ruler · lie · date · charge

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. object — an aim
  3. object — to protest
  4. object — a thing
  5. capital — money
  6. charge — electricity
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. capital — a city
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. lie — to recline
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — a price
  23. date — the fruit
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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