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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · rash · stick · lie · content · land · key · object

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. content — the amount
  3. tube — the underground
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. land — to come down
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. tube — a container
  8. land — ground
  9. rash — hasty
  10. key — in music
  11. content — happy
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. lie — to recline
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. key — for a lock
  16. object — a thing
  17. object — to protest
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. object — an aim
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. key — the most important part
  23. rash — a series
  24. land — a country

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