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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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468
Word bank
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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. file — a document
  6. content — the amount
  7. tube — a container
  8. rest — what's left
  9. kid — to tease
  10. file — a line of people
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. band — a music group
  13. kid — child
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. band — a ring
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. tube — the underground
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pound — a weight
  20. file — a tool
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. rest — a break
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. content — happy

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