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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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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: last · cabinet · craft · band · cold · suit · bound · stand

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bound — obliged
  4. cold — an illness
  5. last — finally
  6. stand — to bear
  7. bound — tied together
  8. suit — clothes
  9. suit — in cards
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. last — to go on
  13. craft — a skill
  14. bound — certain
  15. band — a music group
  16. cold — not warm
  17. suit — to fit
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. last — final
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. craft — boats
  24. band — a ring

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