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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.

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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: hide · bulb · bound · stand · rest · cabinet · band · pitcher

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bound — tied together
  3. band — a ring
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bound — certain
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. stand — to bear
  15. rest — what's left
  16. band — a music group
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bulb — for light
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. rest — a break
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bound — obliged
  24. band — a rubber band

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