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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: can · wound · content · squash · bulb · plane · mug · shower

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. content — happy
  3. plane — a tool
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bulb — for light
  7. squash — to crush
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. mug — a face
  10. can — a tin
  11. mug — to rob
  12. squash — the sport
  13. mug — a cup
  14. wound — an injury
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. shower — to wash
  17. shower — rain
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. content — the amount
  20. can — to be able to
  21. wound — an injury
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. bulb — for light
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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