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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: mug · bay · clip · fan · pop · bound · content · hand

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. pop — to visit
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. clip — to cut
  7. content — happy
  8. content — the amount
  9. mug — a face
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bound — certain
  12. mug — a cup
  13. bound — tied together
  14. clip — a video
  15. pop — music
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. hand — in cards
  18. pop — soda
  19. clip — for paper
  20. mug — to rob
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bay — a horse colour

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