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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: object · staff · cabinet · fine · bank · hand · firm · squash

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  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. object — to protest
  2. staff — employees
  3. squash — the sport
  4. firm — decided
  5. squash — to crush
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — of a river
  8. object — a thing
  9. hand — help
  10. fine — all right
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. firm — steady
  17. fine — high quality
  18. bank — for money
  19. object — an aim
  20. staff — employees
  21. firm — a company
  22. staff — a stick
  23. hand — in cards
  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