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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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468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. content — the amount
  3. kick — in football
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a great time
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. content — happy
  13. bear — the animal
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. bear — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. snap — to click
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. ball — a dance
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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