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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. clip — a video
  4. current — electric
  5. row — to paddle
  6. lean — thin
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. content — the amount
  9. current — of water
  10. tube — a container
  11. bound — certain
  12. lean — to bend
  13. current — happening now
  14. clip — to cut
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. clip — for paper
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. row — a line
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. content — happy

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