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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: patient · cabinet · cap · race · charge · temple · press · capital

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. capital — money
  3. charge — electricity
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. race — the arms race
  7. race — humankind
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. charge — a price
  10. capital — a city
  11. cap — of ice
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. press — to push
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — a lid
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — a publisher
  18. charge — in control
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. race — a contest
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. temple — side of the head

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