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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — a container
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. branch — a division
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. mine — for digging
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. root — of a plant
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. content — the amount
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. root — the cause
  21. cell — in biology
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. content — happy
  24. root — of a word

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