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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: spell · cabinet · fall · bass · suit · hand · capital · lash

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. hand — help
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. capital — money
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. suit — in cards
  8. capital — a city
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. spell — a short time
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. suit — clothes
  14. fall — to drop
  15. suit — to fit
  16. spell — magic
  17. bass — low music
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. hand — in cards
  20. fall — the season
  21. bass — the fish
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. fall — to drop
  24. spell — letters

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