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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: content · mine · mouse · dip · rest · capital · mug · foot

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a face
  3. capital — money
  4. mug — a cup
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. rest — what's left
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. dip — to sink
  12. content — the amount
  13. capital — a city
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. foot — a measure
  21. rest — what's left
  22. content — happy
  23. mine — for digging
  24. rest — a break

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