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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 116 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: mouse · capital · fall · cold · suit · cabinet · cap · hand

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. fall — the season
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. suit — to fit
  6. cap — of ice
  7. capital — a city
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. hand — help
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. capital — money
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. cold — an illness
  14. suit — in cards
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cold — not warm
  17. cap — a hat
  18. fall — to drop
  19. hand — in cards
  20. fall — to drop
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mouse — the animal

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