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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 120 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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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: bore · bear · shower · mug · firm · content · dip · cue

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. firm — steady
  3. dip — to sink
  4. mug — a cup
  5. cue — a signal
  6. mug — to rob
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. content — happy
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. firm — a company
  12. bore — to drill
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. bear — the animal
  15. cue — a hint
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. mug — a face
  18. bear — the animal
  19. firm — decided
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. content — the amount
  22. shower — rain
  23. bore — to tire
  24. cue — for pool

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