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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: bound · foot · chest · board · file · dip · swing · cabinet

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bound — certain
  3. file — a line of people
  4. file — a document
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. swing — to play on
  7. file — a tool
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — obliged
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. board — to get on
  14. chest — a box
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. chest — of your body
  17. foot — a measure
  18. chest — of your body
  19. dip — to sink
  20. swing — in golf
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. board — a committee
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. swing — music

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