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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.

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: net · mug · content · rule · mine · present · rock · snap

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. rock — a stone
  4. mug — to rob
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rule — a law
  7. net — after costs
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. net — in sport
  10. mug — a cup
  11. net — for catching
  12. present — a gift
  13. content — happy
  14. mine — for digging
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. rock — music
  17. rule — government
  18. mug — a face
  19. present — there
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. snap — to click
  24. present — the time now

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