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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  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. ruler — a monarch
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. club — for dancing
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. tube — the underground
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. club — a group
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — the fish
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. branch — a division
  21. bass — low music
  22. kick — in football
  23. club — for golf
  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