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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 116 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: sharp · net · drill · kick · cabinet · lash

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. kick — in football
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. drill — a practice
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. drill — army training
  12. sharp — clever
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. net — in sport
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. net — after costs
  18. drill — 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