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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. land — to come down
  5. tube — the underground
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. content — the amount
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. board — to get on
  10. race — humankind
  11. land — ground
  12. board — a committee
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. race — the arms race
  16. tube — a container
  17. land — a country
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. content — happy
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. race — a contest

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