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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: squash · mine · lean · band · pass · staff · cabinet · snap

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. snap — to click
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. band — a ring
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. staff — employees
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. lean — thin
  9. mine — for digging
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. pass — a permit
  12. squash — to crush
  13. staff — employees
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. squash — the sport
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. band — a music group
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. staff — a stick
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. cabinet — ministers

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