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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · fan · mouse · swing · mug · stem · cabinet · rest

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. content — the amount
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mug — a cup
  7. swing — music
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. mug — a face
  10. rest — what's left
  11. content — happy
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. rest — a break
  14. swing — in golf
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. swing — to play on
  17. rest — what's left
  18. mug — to rob
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stem — to come from
  24. cabinet — ministers

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