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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: cabinet · bank · fan · arm · wave · toast · deal · capital

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. capital — a city
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — of a river
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. capital — money
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. toast — bread
  19. bank — for money
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. deal — to handle
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. toast — the most admired

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