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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 120 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 · bay · rock · stick · shower · craft · kick

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. kick — in football
  4. rock — a stone
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. craft — boats
  7. rock — music
  8. content — happy
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. craft — a skill
  13. mug — a face
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. shower — to wash
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. mug — to rob
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. content — the amount
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. shower — rain
  22. mug — a cup
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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