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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 · staff · nail · firm · bear · mine · court · lash

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. staff — employees
  7. firm — decided
  8. bear — the animal
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. staff — employees
  13. court — of law
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. firm — steady
  19. firm — a company
  20. court — for sport
  21. staff — a stick
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. bear — 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