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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: lash · bound · hide · pit · cabinet · present · toast · roll

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. present — a gift
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. present — the time now
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bound — obliged
  13. roll — a list
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. bound — certain
  17. present — there
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pit — in a race
  20. bound — tied together
  21. toast — bread
  22. roll — a cake
  23. pit — a hole
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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