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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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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: charge · cabinet · wake · rash · vault · wind · capital · spring

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wake — a trail
  3. rash — a series
  4. charge — in control
  5. wind — moving air
  6. spring — the season
  7. charge — a price
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. wind — moving air
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. vault — a safe
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. spring — of water
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. capital — money
  17. spring — a coil
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. rash — hasty
  20. charge — electricity
  21. capital — a city
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wind — to turn a key

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