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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: kick · rash · pound · fan · content · lie · shower · mine

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. content — the amount
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. shower — to wash
  6. content — happy
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. rash — a series
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pound — a weight
  11. mine — for digging
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. lie — to recline
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. rash — hasty
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. shower — rain
  20. kick — in football
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. fan — a supporter

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