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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.

Make a worksheet

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: cabinet · rock · trunk · lean · lash · stick · pitcher · fan

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lean — thin
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rock — a stone
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rock — music

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