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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. wake — a trail
  3. fall — the season
  4. bore — to tire
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. can — a tin
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. pound — a weight
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. kick — in football
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. fall — to drop
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bore — to drill
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. arm — part of the body

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