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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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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. swing — to play on
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. bank — of a river
  5. shower — to wash
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. foot — a measure
  8. suit — in cards
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bank — for money
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mug — a face
  13. swing — music
  14. mug — a cup
  15. content — happy
  16. suit — clothes
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. rush — hurry
  19. shower — rain
  20. bank — for money
  21. content — the amount
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. swing — in golf

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