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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. content — the amount
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. firm — a company
  5. fall — the season
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. fall — to drop
  8. field — a subject
  9. spell — magic
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. field — farmland
  12. firm — decided
  13. mate — a friend
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. spell — letters
  17. fall — to drop
  18. field — for sport
  19. mate — a partner
  20. firm — steady
  21. content — happy
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. spell — a short time
  24. mate — to breed

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