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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

Word bank: cabinet · lash · chair · fan · content · pass · bore · racket

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bore — to tire
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. bore — to drill
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pass — a permit
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. content — the amount
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. chair — a leader
  24. content — videos and posts

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