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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 120 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: lash · object · present · cabinet · saw · mine · court · spell

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  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. spell — letters
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. object — a thing
  4. court — of law
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. saw — the tool
  8. present — there
  9. saw — the tool
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. spell — a short time
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. court — of a king
  15. object — to protest
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. spell — magic
  18. present — a gift
  19. present — the time now
  20. object — an aim
  21. mine — for digging
  22. court — for sport
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  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