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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 116 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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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: deal · cabinet · wound · content · rest · rock · racket · snap

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. rock — a stone
  3. content — the amount
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. deal — to handle
  6. content — happy
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. rest — what's left
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. rest — what's left
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rest — a break
  18. wound — an injury
  19. snap — to click
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. rock — music
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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