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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: wave · content · mouse · rock · foot · bear · kid · lie

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. foot — a measure
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. rock — music
  5. rock — a stone
  6. kid — to tease
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. kid — child
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. content — happy
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. lie — to recline
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. content — the amount

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