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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: mouse · roll · plane · cap · kid · present · stand · bound

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. cap — a lid
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. stand — to bear
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. present — a gift
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — tied together
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. cap — a hat
  13. roll — a cake
  14. cap — of ice
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. plane — a tool
  18. present — there
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bound — certain
  21. kid — to tease
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. kid — child
  24. roll — a list

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