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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.

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: mine · pound · content · lean · current · cold · mark · tube

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — a container
  4. content — the amount
  5. current — happening now
  6. lean — to bend
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. mine — for digging
  9. cold — not warm
  10. pound — a weight
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. current — of water
  13. content — happy
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. lean — thin
  18. cold — an illness
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. current — electric
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. lean — to rest against

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