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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cabinet · game · lash · toast · sharp · snap · land · leaves

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. toast — bread
  3. land — a country
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. game — a match
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. land — to come down
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. sharp — clever
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. game — wild animals
  23. snap — to click
  24. cabinet — ministers

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