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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: firm · clip · cabinet · bound · cold · fan · sharp · toast

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. cold — not warm
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. clip — for paper
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cold — an illness
  7. firm — a company
  8. bound — obliged
  9. toast — bread
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. firm — decided
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. firm — steady
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. bound — certain
  21. clip — to cut
  22. clip — a video
  23. bound — tied together
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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