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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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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: band · temple · mouse · branch · ruler · kick · tube · content

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. tube — a container
  3. content — happy
  4. branch — a division
  5. content — the amount
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. band — a music group
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tube — the underground
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. band — a ring
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. kick — in football
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. kick — with a leg

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