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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 124 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: season · chip · lash · cabinet · toast · rule · mine · nail

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. rule — government
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. rule — a law
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. toast — bread
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. chip — for betting
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. chip — to eat
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. mine — for digging
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. season — of the year
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. season — in sport
  24. mine — an explosive

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