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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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 · cold · mark · tube · ball · cabinet · fan · bay

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. content — the amount
  3. tube — the underground
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a grade
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. ball — a dance
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. tube — a container
  16. cold — not warm
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. cold — an illness
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. content — happy
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. ball — a great time

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