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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 · track · content · fan · tube · saw · game · lean

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. track — a song
  3. saw — the tool
  4. tube — a container
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. lean — to bend
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. wake — a trail
  11. tube — the underground
  12. saw — the tool
  13. game — wild animals
  14. game — a match
  15. track — a path
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. track — to keep track
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. lean — thin
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. content — happy

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