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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: rush · cap · chair · band · firm · cabinet · cold · current

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. rush — hurry
  8. firm — steady
  9. firm — a company
  10. current — of water
  11. chair — a leader
  12. band — a music group
  13. current — electric
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. current — happening now
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. cold — an illness
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. firm — decided
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cold — not warm
  24. band — a ring

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