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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: branch · capital · mug · race · bound · object · cabinet · wave

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. object — to protest
  5. race — humankind
  6. mug — to rob
  7. object — a thing
  8. bound — obliged
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. capital — a city
  11. object — an aim
  12. race — the arms race
  13. bound — tied together
  14. capital — money
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. race — a contest
  17. branch — a division
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. mug — a face
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mug — a cup
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. bound — certain
  24. wave — of the sea

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