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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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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 · firm · vault · land · stick · cabinet · present · capital

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. firm — a company
  3. wound — an injury
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. present — the time now
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. vault — a safe
  8. capital — money
  9. present — there
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. capital — a city
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. firm — decided
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. land — a country
  21. firm — steady
  22. land — to come down
  23. present — a gift
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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