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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: ground · cell · tube · content · sharp · snap · fan · mug

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. mug — a face
  5. ground — crushed
  6. mug — to rob
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. ground — a position
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. snap — to click
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — a container
  16. mug — a cup
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. ground — the earth
  19. sharp — clever
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. content — the amount
  22. content — happy
  23. cell — in biology
  24. cell — a phone

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