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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.

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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · band · bound · spring · game · cabinet · can · season

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  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. lash — to lash out
  2. can — a tin
  3. band — a ring
  4. game — a match
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. band — a music group
  7. spring — a coil
  8. game — wild animals
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. season — in sport
  11. bound — obliged
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. season — of the year
  15. spring — the season
  16. bound — tied together
  17. can — a tin
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. spring — of water
  22. bound — certain
  23. can — to be able to
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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