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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: rush · capital · roll · bear · can · bore · cabinet · last

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. capital — money
  5. last — final
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bore — to drill
  12. can — to be able to
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. can — a tin
  15. last — to go on
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. last — finally
  18. roll — a cake
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rush — hurry
  21. bore — to tire
  22. capital — a city
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. roll — a list

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