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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.

Make a worksheet

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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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. field — for sport
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. file — a tool
  6. fine — all right
  7. mine — for digging
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. file — a line of people
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. file — a document
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. field — a subject
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. fine — high quality
  22. field — farmland
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. content — happy

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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