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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
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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: rash · mug · content · fan · band · foot · snap · bore

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. band — a ring
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. content — happy
  9. mug — to rob
  10. rash — hasty
  11. bore — to drill
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. bore — to tire
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. content — the amount
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. mug — a cup
  18. rash — a series
  19. band — a music group
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. foot — a measure
  24. mug — a face

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