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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. can — a tin
  6. band — a ring
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. last — finally
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. last — to go on
  13. lie — to recline
  14. band — a music group
  15. degree — temperature
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. can — to be able to
  18. degree — an amount
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. can — a tin
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. degree — from a university
  23. last — final
  24. cabinet — ministers

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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