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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.

Make a worksheet

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: wind · branch · tube · content · toast · sharp · cabinet · scale

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — happy
  4. content — the amount
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. tube — the underground
  7. toast — bread
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. sharp — clever
  11. scale — size or range
  12. wind — moving air
  13. branch — a division
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. scale — in music
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. wind — moving air

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