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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: cabinet · race · staff · fine · cue · lie · capital · content

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — happy
  6. cue — a hint
  7. staff — employees
  8. race — humankind
  9. capital — a city
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. staff — a stick
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — for pool
  15. fine — high quality
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. race — a contest
  19. lie — to recline
  20. fine — all right
  21. capital — money
  22. race — the arms race
  23. staff — employees
  24. capital — a big letter

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