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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: content · tube · drill · rush · pitcher · leaves · wave · hand

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. drill — a practice
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. tube — a container
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. content — the amount
  7. rush — hurry
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. drill — army training
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. content — happy
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. hand — in cards
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. tube — the underground
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. hand — help
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. drill — the tool
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. rush — a thrill

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