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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 had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. bass — the fish
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. content — the amount
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. bank — for money
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. wax — to grow
  12. drill — army training
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bank — for money
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. bass — low music
  20. content — happy
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bank — of a river
  23. vault — a safe
  24. tube — a container

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