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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: dip · wave · last · degree · foot · capital · cabinet · object

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. object — a thing
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. foot — a measure
  5. last — finally
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. capital — a city
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. dip — to sink
  10. degree — temperature
  11. capital — money
  12. object — an aim
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. object — to protest
  16. degree — from a university
  17. last — final
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. degree — an amount
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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