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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — to trim
  4. cap — of ice
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. can — to be able to
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — the underground
  9. can — a tin
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. content — happy
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. cap — a lid
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. content — the amount
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. can — a tin
  23. cap — a hat
  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