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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: lash · can · patient · bowl · deal · clip · cabinet · pit

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. pit — in a race
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. can — to be able to
  13. deal — to handle
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. can — a tin
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. clip — to cut
  18. can — a tin
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. clip — a video
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. clip — for paper

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