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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pass · cabinet · game · craft · mug · kid · cap · lash

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. cap — of ice
  3. mug — to rob
  4. kid — to tease
  5. mug — a face
  6. craft — boats
  7. cap — a hat
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. pass — a permit
  17. game — a match
  18. cap — a lid
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. kid — child
  21. mug — a cup
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. craft — a skill
  24. lash — to lash out

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