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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: tube · arm · fork · content · wake · mug · key · face

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. content — happy
  3. tube — a container
  4. key — the most important part
  5. content — the amount
  6. key — in music
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. mug — a face
  11. face — part of the head
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. face — to confront
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. wake — a trail
  18. key — for a lock
  19. mug — a cup
  20. face — to point toward
  21. fork — in a road
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. arm — part of the body

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