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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: wound · mug · content · chip · firm · shower · ground · spring

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. ground — crushed
  3. spring — of water
  4. shower — rain
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. firm — a company
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — for betting
  9. content — the amount
  10. wound — an injury
  11. spring — a coil
  12. spring — the season
  13. wound — an injury
  14. ground — a position
  15. shower — to wash
  16. content — happy
  17. ground — the earth
  18. mug — to rob
  19. mug — a cup
  20. firm — decided
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. chip — to eat
  23. firm — steady
  24. mug — a face

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