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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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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. rush — hurry
  3. net — for catching
  4. fall — to drop
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. tube — the underground
  7. content — happy
  8. pit — a hole
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. tube — a container
  12. net — in sport
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. fall — to drop
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. net — after costs
  19. fall — the season
  20. rash — a series
  21. pit — in a race
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. rash — hasty

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