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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. can — a tin
  3. wake — a trail
  4. tube — the underground
  5. ground — crushed
  6. content — the amount
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bank — of a river
  9. plane — a tool
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — a position
  13. bank — for money
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. bank — for money
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. can — to be able to
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. tube — a container
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. can — a tin
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. plane — in geometry

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