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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 120 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: cap · rush · cabinet · leaves · bound · stock · board · mate

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bound — tied together
  5. stock — goods
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. cap — of ice
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. board — to get on
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — hurry
  12. board — a committee
  13. bound — certain
  14. mate — a partner
  15. bound — obliged
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stock — shares
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a friend
  24. leaves — lets stay

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