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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: cap · stock · staff · branch · kick · cabinet · bound · cell

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. cap — a lid
  3. bound — tied together
  4. staff — employees
  5. cell — a phone
  6. branch — a division
  7. cap — of ice
  8. stock — goods
  9. kick — in football
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. stock — shares
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. cell — in biology
  19. staff — a stick
  20. cap — a hat
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. staff — employees
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bound — obliged

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