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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. can — a tin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. degree — an amount
  6. bear — the animal
  7. mate — a partner
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. row — to paddle
  10. prune — to trim
  11. mate — to breed
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bear — the animal
  15. mate — a friend
  16. degree — from a university
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. prune — to trim
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. can — a tin
  22. degree — temperature
  23. tube — the underground
  24. row — a line

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