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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 116 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: suit · cell · cold · capital · object · branch · can · tube

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. can — a tin
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. branch — a division
  5. capital — a city
  6. suit — to fit
  7. object — to protest
  8. can — a tin
  9. cold — not warm
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. capital — money
  12. cell — a phone
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. cold — an illness
  15. can — to be able to
  16. tube — a container
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. suit — in cards
  20. cell — in biology
  21. tube — the underground
  22. object — an aim
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. object — a thing

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