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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. mug — a cup
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. shower — rain
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. mug — to rob
  9. pop — to visit
  10. craft — boats
  11. mug — a face
  12. bank — for money
  13. kick — in football
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — soda
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. craft — a skill
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. shower — to wash
  22. content — the amount
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — of a river

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