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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.

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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. fine — all right
  3. prune — to trim
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — a container
  6. cue — a hint
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. content — the amount
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. band — a ring
  15. cue — for pool
  16. bulb — for light
  17. cue — a signal
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. band — a music group
  20. tube — the underground
  21. content — happy
  22. bulb — for light
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. fine — high quality

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