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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: face · lash · pass · rash · cabinet · content · bulb · capital

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bulb — for light
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. face — to point toward
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. rash — a series
  9. pass — a permit
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. capital — money
  13. face — part of the head
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. face — to confront
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. content — the amount
  21. bulb — for light
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. content — happy
  24. capital — a city

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