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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.

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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: can · lash · pitcher · cabinet · wound · saw · fine · hand

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. hand — help
  3. hand — in cards
  4. wound — an injury
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. saw — the tool
  7. wound — an injury
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. can — a tin
  13. saw — the tool
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. fine — high quality
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. fine — all right
  21. can — to be able to
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. lash — an eyelash

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