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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. rock — a stone
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. lean — thin
  5. tube — the underground
  6. net — in sport
  7. squash — to crush
  8. lean — to bend
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — clever
  11. squash — the sport
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. net — for catching
  16. rock — music
  17. can — a tin
  18. branch — a division
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. tube — a container
  23. net — after costs
  24. rock — to move gently

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