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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: cabinet · game · bear · stand · kick · rush · season · bound

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. bound — obliged
  3. game — a match
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. kick — in football
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. season — in sport
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. game — wild animals
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. bound — certain
  20. bound — tied together
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. rush — hurry
  23. stand — to bear
  24. cabinet — ministers

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