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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: fan · hide · cabinet · net · pit · fall · firm · lash

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. net — after costs
  3. firm — a company
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. firm — steady
  6. net — for catching
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. pit — a hole
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. net — in sport
  16. fall — the season
  17. fall — to drop
  18. firm — decided
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — animal skin

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