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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. field — a subject
  4. mate — a partner
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. field — farmland
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. mate — to breed
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. mate — a friend
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. season — in sport
  22. field — for sport
  23. season — of the year
  24. nail — for a hammer

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