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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 124 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: spell · content · chair · file · trunk · rock · cue · dip

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. file — a document
  3. cue — a hint
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. chair — a leader
  6. cue — for pool
  7. dip — to sink
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. spell — letters
  10. file — a tool
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. content — happy
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. spell — magic
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. rock — a stone
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. spell — a short time
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. content — the amount
  23. cue — a signal
  24. file — a line of people

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