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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. face — to confront
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. face — part of the head
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. tube — a container
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. tube — the underground
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. saw — the tool
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. content — happy
  23. face — to point toward
  24. saw — the tool

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