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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.

Make a worksheet

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: mine · content · mug · last · safe · pound · current · kick

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. content — happy
  7. mug — to rob
  8. current — of water
  9. pound — a weight
  10. last — finally
  11. last — to go on
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. current — happening now
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. mug — a cup
  16. content — the amount
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. last — final
  19. mine — for digging
  20. kick — in football
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. current — electric

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