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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: mouse · drill · cabinet · leaves · pit · chest · lash · stock

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. chest — a box
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pit — in a race
  8. drill — a practice
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. drill — the tool
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chest — of your body
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. stock — shares
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. stock — goods
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. drill — army training
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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