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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 have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. tube — a container
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. tube — the underground
  6. race — humankind
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. race — the arms race
  9. foot — a measure
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fine — all right
  12. content — the amount
  13. kid — child
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. race — a contest
  17. bore — to drill
  18. kid — to tease
  19. content — happy
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. bore — to tire
  24. foot — the bottom

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