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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: nail · dip · content · cabinet · bass · bowl · trunk · chest

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. content — happy
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. chest — of your body
  9. content — the amount
  10. dip — to sink
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. chest — a box
  15. chest — of your body
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — ministers

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