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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 120 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 · mouse · cabinet · lash · wind · bowl · wake · foot

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. foot — a measure
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wake — a trail
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. wind — moving air

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