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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 · leaves · cabinet · can · march · nail · rash · shower

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. march — the month
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. can — to be able to
  9. shower — to wash
  10. can — a tin
  11. shower — rain
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rash — hasty
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. march — the month
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. march — music
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. can — a tin
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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