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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: ball · mouse · cabinet · stem · bound · calf · cold · chair

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cold — not warm
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. cold — an illness
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. bound — tied together
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. chair — a leader
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bound — obliged
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. ball — a dance
  22. ball — a great time
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. bound — certain

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