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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bowl · coach · sharp · cabinet · lash · wake · toast · tube

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. tube — a container
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. wake — a trail
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. toast — bread
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. sharp — clever
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. wake — before a funeral

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