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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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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: cell · cabinet · capital · calf · lash · wave · last · board

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. cell — a phone
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. last — final
  6. capital — money
  7. capital — a city
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. board — a committee
  10. last — to go on
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. cell — in biology
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. last — finally
  23. board — to get on
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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