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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. content — happy
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. branch — a division
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fall — to drop
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. roll — a list
  12. fall — the season
  13. tube — a container
  14. firm — decided
  15. fall — to drop
  16. firm — a company
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. content — the amount
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. firm — steady
  24. roll — a cake

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