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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: pitcher · lash · clip · racket · craft · cabinet · toast · mug

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mug — a face
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. toast — bread
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. craft — a skill
  9. clip — to cut
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. clip — a video
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — boats
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. clip — for paper
  24. mug — to rob

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