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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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: lash · saw · mine · cabinet · staff · key · wake · rule

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. key — in music
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. wake — a trail
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. mine — for digging
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. staff — employees
  11. rule — government
  12. staff — a stick
  13. staff — employees
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. saw — the tool
  16. key — the most important part
  17. rule — a law
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. key — for a lock

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