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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: saw · content · rush · ball · mug · shower · bulb · fall

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. content — the amount
  5. fall — the season
  6. fall — to drop
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. shower — rain
  9. content — happy
  10. ball — a dance
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. saw — the tool
  13. shower — to wash
  14. fall — to drop
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. ball — a great time
  19. rush — hurry
  20. mug — a cup
  21. bulb — for light
  22. saw — the tool
  23. mug — a face
  24. bulb — for light

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