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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. dip — to sink
  3. board — to get on
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. drill — a practice
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. tube — a container
  8. content — happy
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cue — a signal
  11. craft — boats
  12. content — the amount
  13. lean — thin
  14. craft — a skill
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. lean — to bend
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. drill — the tool
  21. tube — the underground
  22. drill — army training
  23. board — a committee
  24. cue — for pool

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