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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: cabinet · bear · dip · pop · last · trunk · toast · content

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. bear — the animal
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. last — final
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. bear — the animal
  10. last — to go on
  11. content — the amount
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. dip — to sink
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — soda
  18. last — finally
  19. toast — bread
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. pop — to visit
  23. content — happy
  24. bear — to put up with

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