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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: content · mug · fan · cabinet · pop · chest · rock · hand

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. mug — to rob
  4. pop — soda
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. chest — a box
  7. mug — a face
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. mug — a cup
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. hand — in cards
  12. content — the amount
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rock — a stone
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pop — music
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. content — happy
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rock — music
  21. chest — of your body
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. chest — of your body
  24. hand — help

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