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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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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: cap · bowl · fall · deal · lash · bank · pitcher · cabinet

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. cap — of ice
  7. bank — for money
  8. fall — to drop
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. bank — of a river
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. fall — to drop
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. deal — to handle
  21. bank — for money
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. fall — the season
  24. deal — an agreement

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