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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: bowl · lash · file · row · trunk · current · content · ball

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. content — happy
  4. ball — a dance
  5. file — a line of people
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. current — of water
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. current — electric
  10. row — a line
  11. row — to paddle
  12. content — the amount
  13. ball — a great time
  14. file — a document
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. current — happening now
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. file — a tool
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. ball — a round shape

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