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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.

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 · bowl · straw · mouse · shower · stem · bark

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mug — a cup
  4. mug — to rob
  5. shower — rain
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stem — to come from
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bark — to shout
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. content — happy
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. content — the amount
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. mug — a face
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bowl — to roll

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