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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. drill — army training
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. drill — a practice
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. branch — a division
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. content — happy
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. lean — thin
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. fork — in a road
  15. season — of the year
  16. drill — the tool
  17. season — in sport
  18. toast — bread
  19. lean — to bend
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. content — the amount
  23. tube — the underground
  24. tube — in a tire

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