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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: content · sharp · stand · rash · mouse · shower · bound · net

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. content — happy
  3. net — after costs
  4. net — for catching
  5. rash — hasty
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bound — certain
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — a series
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. content — the amount
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. net — in sport
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. shower — rain
  18. shower — to wash
  19. bound — tied together
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. stand — to bear
  23. sharp — clever
  24. content — videos and posts

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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