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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.

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: club · can · rash · drill · date · leaves · last · cabinet

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. last — to go on
  6. drill — a practice
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. can — to be able to
  9. club — a group
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. rash — hasty
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. last — final
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. drill — the tool
  18. rash — a series
  19. date — the fruit
  20. drill — army training
  21. club — for dancing
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. last — finally
  24. club — for golf

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