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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: pop · sharp · cabinet · net · trunk · content · hide · ruler

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. net — after costs
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. sharp — clever
  5. content — happy
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. net — for catching
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pop — to visit
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. content — the amount
  13. pop — soda
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. net — in sport
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pop — music
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. ruler — a monarch

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