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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. pop — soda
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. content — the amount
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. pop — to visit
  13. content — happy
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pop — music
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. dip — to sink
  19. tube — a container
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. bark — to shout
  22. tube — the underground
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fan — a supporter

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