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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. stand — to bear
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. current — of water
  5. current — electric
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bore — to tire
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. net — in sport
  10. tube — the underground
  11. net — for catching
  12. net — after costs
  13. file — a document
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. file — a tool
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — an injury
  19. file — a line of people
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. bore — to drill
  23. current — happening now
  24. bore — gave birth

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