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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. content — happy
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. shower — rain
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. mark — a grade
  13. tube — a container
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. rock — music
  16. tube — the underground
  17. content — the amount
  18. wake — a trail
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. rock — a stone

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