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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. content — the amount
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rule — government
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. rule — a law
  10. stem — to come from
  11. tube — the underground
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. snap — to click
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a great time
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. ball — a dance
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. content — happy
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — in a tire

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