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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 · bat · cabinet · can · chest · cap · rock · bound

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cap — a lid
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. firm — steady
  7. bat — the animal
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bound — obliged
  10. can — a tin
  11. rock — music
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. chest — a box
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. rock — a stone
  16. bound — tied together
  17. firm — a company
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. can — a tin
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — of your body
  22. firm — decided
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. rock — to move gently

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