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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
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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: capital · lie · stand · cell · mug · cabinet · degree · calf

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mug — a cup
  6. lie — to recline
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. capital — money
  9. mug — a face
  10. stand — to bear
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. mug — to rob
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cell — in biology
  17. degree — temperature
  18. degree — from a university
  19. degree — an amount
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. capital — a city

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