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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: mouse · file · key · bear · content · kick · foot · coach

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. key — in music
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. key — the most important part
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. kick — in football
  8. key — for a lock
  9. bear — the animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. file — a line of people
  12. content — the amount
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. foot — a measure
  17. content — happy
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. file — a tool
  20. file — a document
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. kick — with a leg

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