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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: cold · bound · tube · lie · mouse · charge · key · cabinet

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bound — certain
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. key — the most important part
  9. cold — not warm
  10. key — in music
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. bound — obliged
  13. charge — electricity
  14. key — for a lock
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. charge — a price
  20. cold — an illness
  21. charge — in control
  22. tube — a container
  23. lie — to recline
  24. bound — tied together

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