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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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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: wave · bound · race · capital · cell · ground · leaves · cabinet

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. race — humankind
  4. ground — a position
  5. ground — the earth
  6. bound — certain
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. race — the arms race
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. bound — obliged
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. race — a contest
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. capital — money
  17. cell — in biology
  18. cell — a phone
  19. capital — a city
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. bound — tied together
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. leaves — to go away

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