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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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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: cell · capital · wave · present · cabinet · bank · lie · bass

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. capital — a city
  5. cell — a phone
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. bass — low music
  8. cell — in biology
  9. capital — money
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bank — of a river
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. bank — for money
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bass — the fish
  20. present — the time now
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. present — a gift
  23. bank — for money
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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