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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: object · mark · saw · cabinet · land · rash · season · toast

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. saw — the tool
  5. season — in sport
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mark — a grade
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. season — of the year
  11. rash — hasty
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rash — a series
  14. mark — a trace
  15. object — a thing
  16. land — a country
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. land — to come down
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. land — ground
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. object — to protest
  24. toast — bread

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