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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 116 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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. can — a tin
  3. tube — the underground
  4. spring — the season
  5. can — to be able to
  6. spring — a coil
  7. pound — a weight
  8. kick — in football
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. content — happy
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. can — a tin
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — a stick
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. spring — of water
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. staff — employees
  21. content — the amount
  22. tube — a container
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. tube — in a tire

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