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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.

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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 · stick · file · pound · stand · cap · lash · wound

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. pound — a weight
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. wound — an injury
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. cap — of ice
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. file — a tool
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. stand — to bear
  19. file — a document
  20. cap — a hat
  21. wound — an injury
  22. file — a line of people
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. cap — a lid

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