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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. hand — help
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. tube — the underground
  10. wake — a trail
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. content — the amount
  13. saw — the tool
  14. tube — a container
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pass — a permit
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. content — happy
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. saw — the tool

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