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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. current — of water
  4. chip — to eat
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. current — electric
  10. drill — a practice
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. chip — for betting
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. drill — army training
  15. content — happy
  16. current — happening now
  17. tube — a container
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. tube — the underground
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. drill — the tool
  24. content — the amount

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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