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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bound — tied together
  5. land — to come down
  6. cell — a phone
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. bank — for money
  10. rock — a stone
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bound — obliged
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. land — ground
  17. net — for catching
  18. land — a country
  19. net — in sport
  20. rock — music
  21. net — after costs
  22. stand — to bear
  23. bound — certain
  24. bank — for money

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