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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.

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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
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: content · hand · lash · trunk · cabinet · fine · band · bear

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — in cards
  7. content — the amount
  8. band — a ring
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bear — the animal
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. fine — all right
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. content — happy
  15. fine — high quality
  16. bear — the animal
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. band — a music group
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. hand — help

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