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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: cabinet · capital · lean · current · shower · lash · pit · season

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. current — electric
  3. pit — a hole
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lean — to bend
  7. season — of the year
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. capital — money
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. lean — thin
  14. shower — to wash
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — of water
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. shower — rain
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. capital — a city
  24. season — in sport

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