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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cold — not warm
  4. cold — an illness
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — for catching
  11. rock — a stone
  12. content — the amount
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. rock — music
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. vault — a safe
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. content — happy
  24. cabinet — ministers

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