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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. mine — for digging
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. rock — music
  6. branch — a division
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. pit — a hole
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. lean — thin
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. rock — a stone
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. pit — in a race
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. lean — to bend
  21. band — a music group
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. tube — the underground
  24. band — a ring

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