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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. wound — an injury
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rock — music
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. content — the amount
  8. tube — the underground
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. rush — hurry
  11. tube — a container
  12. degree — an amount
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. wound — an injury
  15. content — happy
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. degree — temperature
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cue — a hint
  22. degree — from a university
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. cue — a signal

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