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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. face — part of the head
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — happy
  6. dip — to sink
  7. pop — to visit
  8. tube — a container
  9. bound — certain
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. pop — music
  12. mate — to breed
  13. rush — hurry
  14. face — to confront
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. mate — a friend
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bound — tied together
  19. pop — soda
  20. mate — a partner
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. face — to point toward
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. tube — the underground

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