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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 116 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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. content — happy
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. tube — a container
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. tube — the underground
  11. saw — the tool
  12. hand — in cards
  13. bore — to tire
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. hand — help
  19. saw — the tool
  20. perch — the fish
  21. content — the amount
  22. bore — to drill
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. perch — for a bird

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