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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 120 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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — a container
  4. perch — the fish
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. content — the amount
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bore — to drill
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. fork — in a road
  12. bore — to tire
  13. suit — clothes
  14. content — happy
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. suit — in cards
  18. suit — to fit
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. perch — for a bird

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