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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. rash — a series
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bank — for money
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. bank — of a river
  8. cell — a phone
  9. rash — hasty
  10. hand — in cards
  11. bank — for money
  12. ball — a great time
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. cap — a lid
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. hand — help
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. ball — a dance
  24. stand — to bear

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