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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: cabinet · rash · cell · game · pop · bore · bound · stand

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. game — wild animals
  9. stand — to bear
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pop — soda
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — certain
  14. game — a match
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. bore — to tire
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. bound — obliged
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. rash — a series
  21. pop — music
  22. cell — in biology
  23. bore — to drill
  24. cell — a phone

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