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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 116 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: march · dip · mouse · content · kick · hand · cue · sharp

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — the amount
  4. hand — in cards
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. cue — a hint
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. kick — in football
  11. dip — to sink
  12. march — music
  13. sharp — clever
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. march — the month
  16. cue — for pool
  17. content — happy
  18. march — the month
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. cue — a signal
  24. dip — to dunk

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