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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. court — of a king
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bank — for money
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. court — of law
  8. cold — not warm
  9. band — a ring
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. board — a committee
  12. bank — of a river
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bank — for money
  17. board — to get on
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. band — a music group
  20. dip — to sink
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cold — an illness
  23. court — for sport
  24. dip — to dunk

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