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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. rock — a stone
  3. mark — a grade
  4. degree — from a university
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. snap — to click
  7. tube — the underground
  8. degree — temperature
  9. rock — music
  10. current — of water
  11. degree — an amount
  12. current — electric
  13. current — happening now
  14. wind — moving air
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. wind — moving air
  22. mark — a trace
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. bear — the animal

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