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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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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. can — to be able to
  6. content — the amount
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. content — happy
  11. capital — money
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. capital — a city
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. can — a tin
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. can — a tin

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