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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. content — happy
  3. tube — a container
  4. sharp — clever
  5. content — the amount
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. kick — in football
  10. drill — the tool
  11. drill — a practice
  12. tube — the underground
  13. drill — army training
  14. staff — employees
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pass — a permit
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. staff — a stick
  21. staff — employees
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. bat — 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