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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: rest · lash · bat · cabinet · roll · root · can · hand

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. hand — help
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. roll — a list
  8. root — the cause
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. can — to be able to
  11. root — of a word
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. hand — in cards
  17. root — of a plant
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. roll — a cake
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bat — the animal

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