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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: foot · content · shower · fan · bound · dip · mate · bark

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bound — certain
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a partner
  8. foot — a measure
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. shower — rain
  11. shower — to wash
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. mate — a friend
  14. content — the amount
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bound — obliged
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. dip — to sink
  20. bound — tied together
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. content — happy

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