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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.

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 · suit · mug · game · fan · present · lash · kick

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. mug — a face
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. kick — in football
  5. present — a gift
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. mug — a cup
  9. suit — to fit
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. suit — in cards
  13. present — there
  14. mug — to rob
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. suit — clothes
  20. present — the time now
  21. game — wild animals
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. game — a match

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