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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
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: temple · board · bay · season · rash · cabinet · bat · key

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. key — in music
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. key — for a lock
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. board — a committee
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. rash — a series
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. board — to get on
  21. key — the most important part
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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