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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.

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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: fall · hide · content · drill · mug · rush · fan · kick

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. mug — to rob
  4. fall — the season
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. drill — a practice
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rush — hurry
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. content — happy
  13. drill — army training
  14. kick — in football
  15. fall — to drop
  16. drill — the tool
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. mug — a cup
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mug — a face
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. fall — to drop
  24. content — the amount

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