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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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468
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 · ruler · lean · fan · wound · fine · cabinet · fork

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. capital — a city
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. fine — all right
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. lean — to bend
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. lean — thin
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. wound — an injury

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