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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. tube — a container
  3. fall — to drop
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. net — for catching
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. snap — to click
  9. content — the amount
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. tube — the underground
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. net — after costs
  15. fall — to drop
  16. content — happy
  17. saw — the tool
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. fall — the season
  20. band — a ring
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. net — in sport
  23. band — a music group
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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