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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: wake · content · mouse · mug · kick · shower · key · present

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mug — a cup
  4. content — the amount
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. key — in music
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. present — the time now
  10. wake — a trail
  11. content — happy
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. shower — rain
  15. key — the most important part
  16. present — a gift
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. key — for a lock
  19. mug — a face
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. present — there
  23. kick — in football
  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