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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.

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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: content · pass · cap · wave · mug · row · cabinet · trunk

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. cap — a lid
  3. mug — to rob
  4. row — to paddle
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. content — the amount
  7. cap — of ice
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cap — a hat
  11. row — a line
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. content — happy
  19. pass — a permit
  20. mug — a cup
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. mug — a face

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