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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 · dip · firm · bound · cap · rash · wind · ball

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. firm — a company
  4. firm — decided
  5. bound — tied together
  6. cap — of ice
  7. ball — a great time
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. rash — hasty
  10. wind — moving air
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cap — a hat
  14. dip — to sink
  15. wind — moving air
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. cap — a lid
  19. ball — a dance
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bound — certain
  22. rash — a series
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. firm — steady

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