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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: capital · net · branch · cabinet · face · deal · object · lie

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. branch — a division
  3. face — to confront
  4. deal — to handle
  5. net — in sport
  6. object — a thing
  7. lie — to recline
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. capital — a city
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. object — to protest
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. object — an aim
  19. capital — money
  20. face — to point toward
  21. net — after costs
  22. net — for catching
  23. face — part of the head
  24. lie — an untruth

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