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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 · face · lash · fan · object · capital · cold · cabinet

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. bound — certain
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. object — an aim
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cold — not warm
  9. object — to protest
  10. face — to confront
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. bound — obliged
  16. face — to point toward
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. object — a thing
  19. face — part of the head
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. capital — a city
  22. bound — tied together
  23. cold — an illness
  24. fan — a supporter

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