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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 112 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: tube · bound · content · chair · can · snap · dip · ruler

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  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. snap — to snap out of it
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. bound — certain
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — to sink
  6. can — to be able to
  7. snap — to click
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. tube — the underground
  10. chair — a leader
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bound — obliged
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. can — a tin
  15. content — happy
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. tube — a container
  18. can — a tin
  19. bound — tied together
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. content — the amount
  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