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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: cabinet · calf · pop · rash · temple · net · rule · stand

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. rash — a series
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rule — a law
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — in sport
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. stand — to bear
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pop — music
  18. net — for catching
  19. pop — soda
  20. rule — government
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. cabinet — ministers

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