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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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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 · lash · rock · can · cell · mark · net · race

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. can — a tin
  4. cell — in biology
  5. can — a tin
  6. net — after costs
  7. mark — a grade
  8. net — in sport
  9. rock — a stone
  10. mark — a trace
  11. race — humankind
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. can — to be able to
  15. race — the arms race
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. race — a contest
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. net — for catching
  22. rock — music
  23. cell — a phone
  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