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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. spell — a short time
  3. current — of water
  4. firm — a company
  5. kid — child
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. current — happening now
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — a container
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. content — happy
  14. spell — letters
  15. kid — to tease
  16. firm — decided
  17. spell — magic
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. branch — a division
  21. firm — steady
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. current — electric

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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