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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: cabinet · cap · hand · rest · face · spell · bound · pound

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. spell — magic
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cap — a lid
  7. hand — in cards
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bound — obliged
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bound — tied together
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. rest — a break
  15. face — part of the head
  16. spell — a short time
  17. face — to point toward
  18. bound — certain
  19. rest — what's left
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. rest — what's left
  22. face — to confront
  23. spell — letters
  24. hand — help

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