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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.

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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: fall · hide · deal · trunk · net · hand · content · key

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. net — for catching
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. key — the most important part
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. net — in sport
  7. fall — the season
  8. hand — help
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. key — in music
  11. content — the amount
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. deal — to handle
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. content — happy
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. hand — in cards
  18. net — after costs
  19. key — for a lock
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. fall — to drop

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