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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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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: spring · pass · leaves · fall · racket · clip · lash · cabinet

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. fall — to drop
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. pass — a permit
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. fall — to drop
  10. clip — a video
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. clip — to cut
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. spring — the season
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. clip — for paper
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. spring — a coil
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. spring — of water

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