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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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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. face — part of the head
  4. band — a music group
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. face — to point toward
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. hand — help
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. band — a ring
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. face — to confront
  17. capital — a city
  18. hand — in cards
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. capital — money
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. pitcher — a jug

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