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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: cell · pop · cabinet · snap · deal · capital · mark · wake

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. cell — in biology
  3. capital — money
  4. capital — a city
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. deal — to handle
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. pop — soda
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. mark — a grade
  14. cell — a phone
  15. pop — music
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — a trail
  18. snap — to click
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. pop — to visit
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. mark — a trace
  24. deal — an agreement

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