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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. fork — in a road
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. roll — a list
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. mug — a cup
  9. lean — thin
  10. tube — a container
  11. content — happy
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. roll — a cake
  14. fine — high quality
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — to bend
  17. content — the amount
  18. fine — all right
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. mug — to rob
  24. tube — the underground

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