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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 116 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: lash · cabinet · can · chair · tube · kick · cell · band

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. can — a tin
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. can — to be able to
  10. band — a ring
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. band — a music group
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. cell — in biology
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. chair — a leader
  18. kick — in football
  19. can — a tin
  20. tube — the underground
  21. cell — a phone
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. lash — an eyelash

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