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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  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. fall — to drop
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. net — after costs
  4. tube — a container
  5. cue — a hint
  6. rock — music
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. content — the amount
  10. fall — to drop
  11. net — for catching
  12. land — ground
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. rock — a stone
  15. net — in sport
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. cue — a signal
  18. land — a country
  19. fall — the season
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. content — happy
  22. tube — the underground
  23. land — to come down
  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