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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 124 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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

Word bank: bay · rash · cabinet · cold · kick · stand · staff · spring

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. kick — in football
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. cold — not warm
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. spring — of water
  10. cold — an illness
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. spring — the season
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. stand — to bear
  15. staff — a stick
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rash — a series
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. rash — hasty
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  24. stand — on your feet

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