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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: cabinet · leaves · ball · jam · lash · roll · mate · field

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. roll — a list
  4. field — farmland
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. mate — to breed
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. roll — a cake
  10. ball — a dance
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. mate — a friend
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. field — for sport
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. field — a subject
  22. mate — a partner
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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