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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.

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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. band — a music group
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. pound — a weight
  5. firm — a company
  6. cold — an illness
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. rush — hurry
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. band — a ring
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. firm — decided
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. firm — steady
  22. cold — not warm
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cue — a signal

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