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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 116 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: stand · season · march · bound · shower · bay · net · cabinet

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bound — obliged
  4. march — music
  5. shower — rain
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. march — the month
  8. stand — to bear
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. season — of the year
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bound — certain
  14. net — in sport
  15. bound — tied together
  16. season — in sport
  17. net — for catching
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. shower — to wash
  21. net — after costs
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. march — the month

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