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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 120 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
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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: straw · cabinet · mark · suit · last · can · march · cell

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. suit — to fit
  4. cell — a phone
  5. last — final
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. suit — clothes
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. suit — in cards
  10. cell — in biology
  11. march — music
  12. last — to go on
  13. mark — a trace
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. can — to be able to
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. march — the month
  20. march — the month
  21. last — finally
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. straw — dry grass

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