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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. shower — rain
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. shower — to wash
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. drill — army training
  12. drill — the tool
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. content — happy
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. content — the amount
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. drill — a practice
  24. trunk — of a car

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