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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: mark · cabinet · snap · kick · jam · bound · pop · cold

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bound — tied together
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. pop — music
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. pop — to visit
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. cold — not warm
  13. mark — a trace
  14. kick — in football
  15. snap — to click
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. pop — soda
  18. bound — certain
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. mark — a grade
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. bound — obliged
  24. jam — a tight spot

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