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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: straw · spring · dip · net · cabinet · file · lash · calf

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. spring — of water
  3. spring — a coil
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. file — a document
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. net — after costs
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. file — a tool
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. dip — to sink
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. spring — the season
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. net — in sport
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. net — for catching
  22. file — a line of people
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. lash — an eyelash

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