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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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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: fall · mate · fine · sharp · content · cabinet · band · dip

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. sharp — clever
  3. content — the amount
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. band — a music group
  6. fine — high quality
  7. mate — a partner
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. fall — to drop
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. fall — to drop
  13. content — happy
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. band — a ring
  16. fall — the season
  17. dip — to sink
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. fine — all right
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. mate — a friend
  23. band — a rubber band
  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