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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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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: cabinet · cell · racket · lash · rock · foot · net · fall

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. fall — the season
  6. rock — music
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. net — in sport
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. cell — in biology
  15. foot — a measure
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rock — a stone
  18. net — for catching
  19. cell — a phone
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. fall — to drop
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. net — after costs

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