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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cap · cabinet · pitcher · lash · board · tube · degree · tear

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. board — to get on
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. board — a committee
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. tear — from crying
  8. degree — from a university
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. tear — to rip
  11. tube — a container
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cap — a hat
  15. tear — from crying
  16. degree — an amount
  17. tube — the underground
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. cap — a lid
  21. degree — temperature
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. cap — of ice

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