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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. mine — for digging
  3. bore — to drill
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rash — a series
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. content — the amount
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. bank — of a river
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. content — happy
  14. rush — hurry
  15. tube — the underground
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. bank — for money
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. bank — for money

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