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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: chair · firm · lash · clip · rash · rush · cabinet · lean

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. rush — hurry
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. chair — a leader
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. clip — for paper
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lean — thin
  15. rash — a series
  16. firm — decided
  17. firm — steady
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. firm — a company
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. lean — to bend
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. clip — to cut
  24. clip — a video

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