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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: lean · bank · cabinet · temple · row · cue · content · capital

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. cue — for pool
  3. capital — money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bank — for money
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. row — to paddle
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. row — a line
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. cue — a hint
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. cue — a signal
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bank — for money
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. lean — thin
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. lean — to bend
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. capital — a city
  24. content — the amount

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