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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.

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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: cue · spell · can · cabinet · lash · bat · foot · leaves

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. can — a tin
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. bat — the animal
  5. cue — a hint
  6. spell — magic
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. foot — a measure
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. cue — a signal
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. spell — letters
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. can — to be able to
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. can — a tin

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