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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. bat — the animal
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — the underground
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bore — to drill
  8. board — to get on
  9. tube — a container
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. content — the amount
  14. wind — moving air
  15. staff — employees
  16. bore — to tire
  17. staff — a stick
  18. wind — moving air
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — electric
  21. content — happy
  22. board — a committee
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. staff — employees

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