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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: cabinet · wave · fan · capital · jam · wind · arm · toast

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. capital — money
  5. toast — bread
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. capital — a city
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wind — moving air
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. wind — moving air

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