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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. suit — clothes
  3. degree — an amount
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. tube — the underground
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. degree — from a university
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. bore — to tire
  12. wind — moving air
  13. degree — temperature
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. wind — moving air
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. suit — to fit
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. suit — in cards
  24. bore — to drill

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