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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 116 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: snap · content · swing · kick · mouse · mug · band · bound

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. band — a music group
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. bound — certain
  7. band — a ring
  8. content — the amount
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. swing — music
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. mug — a face
  15. swing — in golf
  16. snap — to click
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. swing — to play on
  19. mug — a cup
  20. bound — tied together
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. bound — obliged
  23. content — happy
  24. kick — in football

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