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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 120 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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. bass — low music
  6. lean — thin
  7. mug — to rob
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. lean — to bend
  10. mug — a face
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. stand — to bear
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. tube — a container
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. mug — a cup
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. tube — the underground
  21. content — happy
  22. bass — the fish
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. stand — on your feet

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