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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. content — happy
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. craft — boats
  5. bear — the animal
  6. craft — a skill
  7. tube — a container
  8. current — electric
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. current — of water
  11. bear — the animal
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. content — the amount
  14. current — happening now
  15. snap — to click
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. vault — a safe
  24. cabinet — ministers

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