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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.

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: present · lie · patient · cabinet · cap · bound · stand · board

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bound — tied together
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. board — a committee
  5. board — to get on
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. present — there
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. stand — to bear
  11. bound — obliged
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bound — certain
  14. cap — of ice
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. cap — a hat
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. present — a gift
  21. cap — a lid
  22. present — the time now
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. lie — to recline

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