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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: wound · capital · staff · tear · cabinet · dip · wave · stand

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. tear — from crying
  6. staff — employees
  7. wound — an injury
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. staff — employees
  12. capital — money
  13. dip — to sink
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. capital — a city
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. stand — to bear
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. staff — a stick
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. tear — to rip
  23. wound — an injury
  24. tear — from crying

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