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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: chest · lash · cabinet · ball · stand · bat · shower · perch

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. bat — the animal
  7. shower — rain
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. stand — to bear
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. ball — a dance
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. chest — a box
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — of your body
  19. shower — to wash
  20. ball — a great time
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. perch — the fish
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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