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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. content — the amount
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. content — happy
  8. bound — certain
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. saw — the tool
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. race — a contest
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. race — the arms race
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. tube — a container
  19. race — humankind
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bound — obliged
  24. tube — the underground

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