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

Word bank: cabinet · snap · deal · wave · bowl · bass · capital · stem

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. capital — a city
  3. deal — to handle
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. capital — money
  12. snap — to click
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. stem — to come from
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. bass — low music
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. bass — the fish

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