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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.

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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rock · can · cold · season · content · cabinet · branch · lash

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. can — to be able to
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. can — a tin
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. content — the amount
  9. season — of the year
  10. season — in sport
  11. content — happy
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. branch — a division
  14. cold — an illness
  15. cold — not warm
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. rock — music
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. can — a tin

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