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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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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: snap · firm · trunk · mine · cabinet · content · dip · bass

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. mine — for digging
  4. firm — decided
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. firm — a company
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. content — happy
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. snap — to click
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. content — the amount
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. bass — low music
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. dip — to sink
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bass — the fish

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