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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.

Words on the sheet
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: bound · wave · land · bank · temple · capital · cabinet · squash

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. capital — money
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bank — for money
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. bound — certain
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. land — to come down
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. squash — the sport
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bound — obliged
  14. squash — to crush
  15. land — ground
  16. land — a country
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — of a river
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. capital — a city

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