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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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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: snap · bear · capital · lash · file · cabinet · club · toast

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. club — for dancing
  3. club — a group
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. file — a line of people
  8. capital — money
  9. file — a tool
  10. toast — bread
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. club — for golf
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. snap — to click
  22. capital — a city
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. cabinet — ministers

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