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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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. date — on the calendar
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. object — an aim
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. cap — a lid
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. object — a thing
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. cap — a hat
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — the fruit
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. cap — of ice
  23. object — to protest
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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