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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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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: game · lean · cap · staff · can · cell · bound · track

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. cap — a lid
  3. lean — thin
  4. cell — in biology
  5. bound — tied together
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. game — wild animals
  8. staff — a stick
  9. bound — certain
  10. track — to keep track
  11. cell — a phone
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. staff — employees
  15. game — a match
  16. track — a path
  17. lean — to bend
  18. bound — obliged
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. track — a song
  21. cap — of ice
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. can — to be able to
  24. cap — a hat

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