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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: jam · rash · land · swing · content · lean · tube · fork

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  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. tube — in a tire
  2. rash — a series
  3. swing — in golf
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. tube — the underground
  6. land — a country
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. content — the amount
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. tube — a container
  11. swing — to play on
  12. lean — to bend
  13. fork — in a road
  14. lean — thin
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. land — to come down
  17. swing — music
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. rash — hasty
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. land — ground
  23. lean — to rest against
  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