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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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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: tube · content · arm · pass · squash · chair · toast · hide

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. toast — bread
  3. tube — the underground
  4. pass — a permit
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. squash — to crush
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. chair — a leader
  12. content — the amount
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. squash — the sport
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. content — happy
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. tube — a container
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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