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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
468
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: content · cue · spring · trunk · drill · craft · lie · wave

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. cue — a hint
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. lie — to recline
  7. spring — of water
  8. drill — army training
  9. drill — a practice
  10. cue — a signal
  11. content — the amount
  12. craft — a skill
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. craft — boats
  15. spring — the season
  16. spring — a coil
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. content — happy
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. cue — for pool
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. drill — the tool
  24. wave — of the sea

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