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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mug · cell · lean · wound · cabinet · mouse · content · capital

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. cell — a phone
  6. capital — money
  7. wound — an injury
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. lean — thin
  10. mug — a face
  11. content — the amount
  12. cell — in biology
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. mug — to rob
  16. wound — an injury
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. mug — a cup
  20. lean — to bend
  21. content — happy
  22. capital — a city
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. content — videos and posts

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