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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 · stand · roll · cabinet · file · saw · season · pound

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  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. stand — to bear
  2. season — of the year
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. file — a tool
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. file — a line of people
  7. mug — a face
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. season — in sport
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. file — a document
  14. roll — a cake
  15. mug — a cup
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. saw — the tool
  18. roll — a list
  19. mug — to rob
  20. pound — a weight
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. saw — the tool
  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