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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: cold · firm · mug · mine · band · leaves · bay · cabinet

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. firm — a company
  3. band — a ring
  4. mug — a cup
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. mug — to rob
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. firm — steady
  11. firm — decided
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. band — a music group
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. cold — an illness
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. mug — a face
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. cold — not warm

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