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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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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: fall · bear · present · cabinet · capital · band · arm · staff

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. band — a ring
  3. bear — the animal
  4. capital — a city
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. staff — employees
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. fall — the season
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. present — the time now
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. capital — money
  14. fall — to drop
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. present — there
  17. staff — employees
  18. bear — the animal
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. band — a music group
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. present — a gift
  24. arm — a part of something

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