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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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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 · march · mug · pass · snap · kick · fork · cell

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. fork — in a road
  3. kick — in football
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. mug — a cup
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. pass — a permit
  8. mug — a face
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. march — the month
  12. content — the amount
  13. march — music
  14. cell — a phone
  15. content — happy
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. snap — to click
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. march — the month
  20. cell — in biology
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. mug — to rob

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