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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. content — the amount
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. key — in music
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. chest — of your body
  8. tube — a container
  9. key — for a lock
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. chest — of your body
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. key — the most important part
  16. mate — a partner
  17. branch — a division
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. chest — a box
  22. mate — a friend
  23. tube — the underground
  24. content — happy

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