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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: trunk · wave · squash · tube · content · march · mug · prune

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. mug — to rob
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. prune — to trim
  5. content — happy
  6. march — the month
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. squash — the sport
  10. mug — a cup
  11. march — music
  12. tube — a container
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. march — the month
  19. tube — the underground
  20. mug — a face
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. squash — to crush
  24. prune — to trim

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