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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. sharp — clever
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. tube — a container
  6. pound — a weight
  7. rush — hurry
  8. track — to keep track
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. stem — to come from
  11. lean — to bend
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. lean — thin
  15. content — the amount
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. content — happy
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. track — a song
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. track — a path
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. stem — of a plant

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