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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: mug · band · cold · object · fine · arm · stick · cabinet

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. mug — a cup
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. fine — all right
  5. mug — to rob
  6. cold — not warm
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. band — a ring
  9. cold — an illness
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. band — a music group
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. object — to protest
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. fine — high quality
  20. mug — a face
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. object — a thing

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