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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 116 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 · net · bank · bark · cabinet · shower · content · kick

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mug — to rob
  3. bank — for money
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. net — in sport
  7. mug — a face
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bank — for money
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. shower — rain
  13. content — happy
  14. net — for catching
  15. net — after costs
  16. content — the amount
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. kick — in football
  19. shower — to wash
  20. bank — of a river
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. mug — a cup
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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