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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 116 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: fork · current · bound · cabinet · stand · leaves · last · cold

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. cold — not warm
  3. bound — certain
  4. current — electric
  5. bound — tied together
  6. current — of water
  7. last — final
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. current — happening now
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. last — finally
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bound — obliged
  15. stand — to bear
  16. fork — in a road
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. cold — an illness
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. last — to go on

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