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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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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: cabinet · content · cell · bat · rock · can · fall · snap

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — the season
  6. cell — in biology
  7. can — a tin
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. fall — to drop
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — music
  15. content — the amount
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. cell — a phone
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. can — to be able to
  20. snap — to click
  21. bat — the animal
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. content — happy
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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