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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
468
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: bound · cabinet · ground · squash · cue · cell · dip · band

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. ground — a position
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bound — tied together
  8. ground — crushed
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. bound — certain
  11. cue — for pool
  12. squash — the sport
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cue — a signal
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. cue — a hint
  17. band — a ring
  18. bound — obliged
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. band — a music group
  22. squash — to crush
  23. ground — the earth
  24. squash — the vegetable

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