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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: cabinet · rash · rest · ground · can · bat · temple · content

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. can — a tin
  4. ground — the earth
  5. rash — hasty
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rest — a break
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. ground — a position
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. content — happy
  15. bat — the animal
  16. can — a tin
  17. ground — crushed
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. rash — a series
  20. rest — what's left
  21. can — to be able to
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. content — the amount
  24. rest — what's left

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