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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. bank — for money
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. tube — a container
  6. march — the month
  7. tube — the underground
  8. content — happy
  9. bank — for money
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bank — of a river
  12. march — the month
  13. march — music
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. lie — to recline
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. pit — in a race
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. content — the amount
  24. pit — a hole

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