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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 120 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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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: stand · stick · cell · can · cabinet · rash · bay · club

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cell — in biology
  3. can — to be able to
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. stand — to bear
  6. can — a tin
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. club — a group
  9. cell — a phone
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. rash — hasty
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. club — for dancing
  17. rash — a series
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. club — for golf
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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