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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — rain
  3. firm — a company
  4. snap — to click
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. content — happy
  7. firm — decided
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — in sport
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. content — the amount
  15. season — of the year
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. kick — in football
  18. shower — to wash
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stem — to come from
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. firm — steady

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