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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: toast · drill · bound · cabinet · pop · chair · can · wake

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. wake — a trail
  4. pop — music
  5. toast — bread
  6. pop — to visit
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. drill — the tool
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. drill — a practice
  11. chair — a leader
  12. can — a tin
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pop — soda
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. can — to be able to
  17. drill — army training
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bound — certain
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. can — a tin
  24. bound — obliged

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