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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 116 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. mark — a grade
  3. drill — the tool
  4. mark — a trace
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. tube — a container
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. dip — to sink
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. drill — a practice
  13. bark — to shout
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. content — the amount
  20. content — happy
  21. drill — army training
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. tube — in a tire

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