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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: sharp · cabinet · mine · content · pop · squash · coach · fall

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. squash — to crush
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — the season
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. pop — to visit
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. pop — music
  15. content — the amount
  16. sharp — clever
  17. pop — soda
  18. squash — the sport
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. mine — for digging
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. content — happy

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