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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — the underground
  5. content — happy
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. rock — a stone
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. rock — music
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. branch — a division
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bulb — for light
  18. lie — to recline
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. content — the amount
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. bulb — for light
  24. branch — of a bank

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