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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. tube — the underground
  3. current — of water
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. current — happening now
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. current — electric
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. tube — a container
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. content — the amount
  15. capital — money
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — moving air
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. capital — a city
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. content — happy
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. hide — animal skin

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