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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
468
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: date · content · tube · deal · spell · hide · foot · bore

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. tube — a container
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. tube — the underground
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — to handle
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. bore — to drill
  16. spell — magic
  17. content — the amount
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. spell — a short time
  20. content — happy
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. spell — letters
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. date — the fruit

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