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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.

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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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. rest — a break
  4. tube — the underground
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. staff — employees
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. tube — a container
  9. staff — a stick
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. content — happy
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. branch — a division
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pass — a permit
  19. staff — employees
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. rest — what's left
  22. squash — to crush
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. content — the amount

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