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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.

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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: content · mug · bound · wave · tear · can · dip · hand

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  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. wave — with your hand
  2. content — the amount
  3. can — to be able to
  4. mug — a face
  5. mug — a cup
  6. bound — obliged
  7. tear — to rip
  8. can — a tin
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. can — a tin
  12. dip — to sink
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. hand — in cards
  15. tear — from crying
  16. hand — help
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bound — certain
  20. content — happy
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. tear — from crying
  23. mug — to rob
  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