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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. content — happy
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. tube — the underground
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. content — the amount
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bass — the fish
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — a container
  15. tear — to rip
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. toast — bread
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. bass — low music
  21. tear — from crying
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. branch — a division

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