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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. bank — for money
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bank — for money
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. saw — the tool
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. saw — the tool
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. kid — to tease
  24. kid — child

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