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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: kid · bound · nail · tube · dip · cabinet · wound · cap

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. cap — of ice
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. tube — a container
  5. dip — to sink
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bound — obliged
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cap — a hat
  10. kid — child
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. wound — an injury
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. cap — a lid
  15. kid — to tease
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bound — certain
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. tube — the underground
  23. wound — an injury
  24. nail — on a finger

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