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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. mate — a partner
  3. can — a tin
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. mate — a friend
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. can — a tin
  10. tube — a container
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. bank — for money
  13. content — happy
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bank — for money
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. tube — the underground
  21. row — to paddle
  22. can — to be able to
  23. deal — to handle
  24. content — the amount

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