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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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468
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: lash · club · capital · branch · charge · object · toast · cabinet

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. charge — electricity
  6. capital — a city
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. branch — a division
  9. capital — money
  10. charge — in control
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. club — for golf
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — a thing
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. club — a group
  21. toast — bread
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. club — for dancing
  24. object — to protest

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