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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: bound · firm · bank · fan · cabinet · ruler · bat · bulb

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bank — for money
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bound — obliged
  6. firm — decided
  7. bat — the animal
  8. firm — a company
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. firm — steady
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bound — certain
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bank — for money
  24. bound — tied together

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