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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: jam · tube · mouse · content · lean · row · roll · mug

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. mug — a cup
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. row — to paddle
  5. mug — to rob
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. lean — thin
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. roll — a cake
  11. tube — the underground
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. row — a line
  14. tube — a container
  15. content — the amount
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. lean — to bend
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. content — happy
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. roll — a list
  24. mug — a face

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