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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. content — happy
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. press — to push
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. content — the amount
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. tube — a container
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. perch — the fish
  16. foot — a measure
  17. tube — the underground
  18. press — newspapers
  19. press — a publisher
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. patient — a sick person

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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