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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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Word bank
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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. degree — from a university
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. can — to be able to
  6. spring — a coil
  7. season — of the year
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. saw — the tool
  12. present — the time now
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. degree — temperature
  15. spring — of water
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. spring — the season
  19. present — there
  20. season — in sport
  21. present — a gift
  22. degree — an amount
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. saw — the tool

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