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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 116 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: mug · content · tube · fan · ruler · bowl · hand · present

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. hand — help
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. mug — a face
  5. present — a gift
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — to rob
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. present — the time now
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. content — the amount
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — in cards
  19. content — happy
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — the underground
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. content — videos and posts

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