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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: wake · pop · shower · bay · tube · jam · mark · can

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a grade
  5. shower — to wash
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. mark — a trace
  11. tube — the underground
  12. tube — a container
  13. can — a tin
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. pop — music
  18. can — to be able to
  19. pop — to visit
  20. can — a tin
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. shower — rain
  24. pop — soda

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