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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a face
  3. bore — to tire
  4. saw — the tool
  5. tube — a container
  6. content — the amount
  7. content — happy
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. wake — a trail
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. mug — a cup
  17. bore — to drill
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. tube — the underground
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. racket — a loud noise

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