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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: wound · firm · cabinet · hand · kid · fan · mug · mark

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. firm — a company
  3. mug — a cup
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. mark — a trace
  12. wound — an injury
  13. hand — help
  14. wound — an injury
  15. mark — a grade
  16. firm — steady
  17. kid — to tease
  18. mug — a face
  19. kid — child
  20. firm — decided
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. hand — in cards
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. mug — to rob

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