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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: mug · lie · content · season · chair · bank · mouse · kick

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. mug — a face
  4. mug — to rob
  5. kick — in football
  6. content — happy
  7. content — the amount
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. season — in sport
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. bank — of a river
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. bank — for money
  17. lie — to recline
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. mug — a cup
  23. season — of the year
  24. bank — for money

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