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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. tube — the underground
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. fall — the season
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bank — for money
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. squash — the sport
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. fall — to drop
  15. squash — to crush
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. perch — the fish
  19. fall — to drop
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bank — for money
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. prune — to trim

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