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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. ground — the earth
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. content — happy
  6. ground — a position
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. content — the amount
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. ground — crushed
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. tube — a container
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. sharp — clever

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