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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
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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: toast · tube · wax · cell · hand · content · branch · rock

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. content — the amount
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. cell — a phone
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. wax — to grow
  9. cell — in biology
  10. content — happy
  11. rock — music
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. hand — in cards
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. rock — a stone
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — help
  19. tube — a container
  20. tube — the underground
  21. branch — a division
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. rock — to move gently

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