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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. rash — hasty
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pound — a weight
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. squash — to crush
  10. bore — to tire
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. squash — the sport
  13. bore — to drill
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. rash — a series
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. stand — to bear
  22. band — a ring
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. band — a music group

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