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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. fall — the season
  4. fork — in a road
  5. content — happy
  6. foot — a measure
  7. clip — to cut
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. tube — a container
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. clip — a video
  12. tube — the underground
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. content — the amount
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. clip — for paper
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. fall — to drop
  20. scale — size or range
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. wave — with your hand

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