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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. tube — the underground
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. firm — steady
  5. spring — a coil
  6. firm — decided
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. tube — a container
  10. pop — soda
  11. board — to get on
  12. content — the amount
  13. wake — a trail
  14. spring — of water
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. spring — the season
  17. firm — a company
  18. pop — music
  19. board — a committee
  20. pop — to visit
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. content — happy
  24. dip — a sauce

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